Throw My Past Away
by Virgo girl 14
Summary: Summary inside. Happy reading
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi guys! This is my first TVD fic... I hope I do the characters justice... As you can tell I obviously don't own TVD, although there are times I wish Julie Plec didn't either... Now... i'm not saying I hate Julie and what _could_ have happened between either Bamon or Benzo... but she basically put the two together after she lost Damon. So really it's a pity relationship. Bonnie was lonely. Enzo was lonely, but he didn't do much in the way of helping her. He hid her magic and made her a damn target. Whereas Damon would have stopped at nothing to protect her. ANYWAY. The show must go on, as they say.

Summary: After yet another threat to Mystic Falls has been annihilated, Bonnie finally decides she wants out. Taking matters into her own hands, she leaves Mystic Falls and everything and everyone behind. Well... _almost_ everyone.

"Thought you'd leave without saying goodbye? That's usually my trick."

Green eyes rolled in the direction of the blue eyed vampire where the sarcastic tone had come from. "No."

"Then what, Bon Bon? Your bags are packed and it's the middle of the night. I get we've had a tough day, that's why I came to check on you."

"Well then come with me?" Bonnie looked up at Damon. "I need to get outta here, Damon. Out and away from the dangers of Mystic Falls. And what better road trip partner than my best friend?"

"What about Enzo? The apparent love of your life."

Bonnie sighed deeply. The only reason said vampire was not talking her round was because she had spelled the door shut and silenced the entirety of upstairs. "Enzo and I...it's not working. I know, call me a coward! But I thought I could give him everything and...I can't. We fight but don't always make up."

Damon observed her words, ears pricking up at the mention of fighting. There were no marks on the witch, biting or otherwise and she didn't appear scared. He knew then that only words were exchanged and not hands. "Well, Bonnie. He's been alone for a long time, it takes some getting used to having someone be there for you. Especially when that someone is Bonnie Bennett." He smiled.

"Careful, Damon. You almost sound like you care." Bonnie teased.

"Tell anyone and I have to kill you, witchy." Damon smirked, causing Bonnie to laugh and throw her arms around him in a hug, which he happily reciprocated, lifting her off the ground. "Come on. We'll take my car." He spoke as her set her back down.

"Can I ask you to put the bags in the trunk? As soon as I leave this place the silencing spell will lift." She smiled.

Damon have a forced groan, pretending to make a big deal out of what she had asked. "Bonnie...!" He whined, drawing her name out for a long moment.

She laughed at him. "Please?"

"Fine! But you owe me, Bennett." He smirked, picking up her bags, and at vampire speed, had all of her belongings in the trunk and on the back seat of his camaro within minutes. He stood in the doorway as he saw her writing a note for Enzo in the morning, explaining that she had to get away for a while and that she would be in touch soon. "I don't think you need to explain yourself to him, Bon."

"I do." Bonnie forced a small smile in his direction, standing up from the kitchen table and made her way to him.

"The car is running so as soon as you get in, we can go." He smiled.

Bonnie nodded and looked around one last time, and then followed Damon out to the car, feeling her magic follow her out of the door as the spells were removed.

Once safely in the car with his witch, Damon stepped on the gas and sped away from the house she and Enzo shared. Minutes later, the pair put Mystic Falls in the rear view mirror, driving late in the night on the open road.


	2. Chapter 2

Damon drove the almost seven hour journey to New York with little complaint, which surprised Bonnie a little. Until she had fallen asleep, Damon spent that time making her laugh, singing along badly to whatever ballad was playing on the late night radio in the car. He was determined to take her mind off of what was clearly troubling his best friend, they would have that discussion in the morning when she was rested, fed and watered.

He kept glancing over at her as she slept, she looked peaceful, as though the weight of the world wasn't on her shoulders as it was just hours ago. He never wanted Bonnie involved in that danger. He'd almost lost her again thanks to Enzo and his bright ideas. Blue eyes turned dark at the thought of his former friend putting the life of Bonnie Bennett in danger, and not for the first time, it made him want to rip his throat out. "He was supposed to love and protect you, Bon, when I couldn't." He muttered, turning his eyes back on the road as they reached New York, finding the nearest hotel he could find, knowing there would be no way at 4 am he could get anywhere else. Shutting off the car he got out, walking inside.

"Can I help you?" the pretty young red haired woman spoke from behind the desk.

"I need a room for my friend and I. We've had a long journey and she's asleep in the car, and that thing is nowhere near as comfortable to sleep in." Damon gave his best charming smile to the woman.

"Of course." She smiled and looked at the computer in front of her. "The only room we have left is room 219. It's a double bed."

"That's great. I don't wanna have to deal with a grumpy Bonnie when she wakes up all cramped." He smirked and took out his card from his jacket pocket and paid for the room and took the key card. He then left to get Bonnie from the car. "Come on, Bon Bon." He picked her up easily, bumping the door shut with his hip and carried her inside.

"My bag.." Bonnie mumbled sleepily, burying her head into the crook of his neck.

"I'll get it." He smirked and walked up the stairs to the hotel room, using the key card to unlock the door and he walked inside, laying her down on the bed.

Bonnie mumbled incoherently and rolled on to her stomach, hugging the pillow close to her, her hair, which had grown out again, was splayed across her shoulders and covering her face.

Damon smirked and left to quickly get her bag with a change of clothes and her toiletries in and ran back up to the room in minutes, dropping the bag on the floor. He sat on the chair located in the corner of the small room and watched her until sleep claimed him.

Bright sunlight pouring through the window awoke Bonnie from her dreamless slumber and she looked around unfamiliar surroundings.

"Morning."

Bonnie yelped at the voice, looking over at the door where it came from. "Damon!" She gasped, glaring daggers at him.

Damon just smirked, staring down at her. "I ordered room service, so breakfast will be here soon."

Bonnie nodded, still trying to remember where they were.

"You wanted me to take you to New York. So here we are." He spoke when he saw her confusion.

"You drove six and a half hours cross state?" She looked incredulously at him.

He shrugged, not seeing the big deal. "You told me to put as much distance between you and Mystic Falls as possible."

She smiled at him, about to say something else when they were interrupted by the shrill ringing of her phone.

"That's been going off since 7 am."

Bonnie looked at it, seeing the time was 10.30. She also noticed that the caller ID screamed Caroline. She sighed and answered, putting on her best cheery voice as she sat up in bed. "Hey Care."

Damon smiled for a moment at the beauty that lay before him, sun-kissed caramel skin glowing in the morning winter sun, brown hair mussed and wild with sleep. He shook his head a little to clear his thoughts.

"Where the hell are you?!" Caroline's shrieking could be heard even without vampire hearing.

Bonnie winced and sighed. "I need a break, Care. I promise I was gonna call you."

"When? And why would you go without telling anyone? What about Enzo? Or Damon?"

Damon looked at her and shook his head. Caroline would surely kill them both in the mood she was currently in.

"I left Enzo a note. And Damon... Damon will be fine. He doesn't need or want me holding his hand." Bonnie smiled.

Damon bit back a comment, remembering he wasn't supposed to be there.

"I guess. I suppose I'm just used to seeing you two glued at the hip recently, I know he cares about you."

Both Bonnie and Damon smiled at each other. "Yeah. I guess he does."

"Okay just promise me this. If you're really gonna do this, just be safe. Okay?"

"Yes, mom." Bonnie giggled. "Care I gotta get ready, breakfast will be here soon. I promise I will call you."

"Bonnie Bennett! I mean it!" Caroline pouted. "Okay. When you're settled, tell me where you are. I'll come visit you, I'll even bring the girls."

The witch nodded. "I would like that...I promise I will." She could feel her tears building up, and she knew Caroline would be the same. "I love you."

"I love you too, Bon."

"Tell the girls I love them too."

"I will."

Bonnie sighed heavily as she hung up the call.

Damon silently moved back to the bed, sitting on the edge and pulled her into a hug, letting her cry for a while.

The door knocking signalled the end of their moment and Damon stood up, Bonnie wiped her tears and sniffled as he brought the tray of food in to her.

"I know it's not exactly vampcakes.." He trailed off with his signature smirk.

"What about you?" Bonnie looked up at him with a small smile.

"I'll go find the neck of some woman." He smirked at her.

"Damon!"

"What?! I'm kidding! Sort of. There's no hospital around to steal supplies."

"You could have fed last night." She shrugged, digging into her pancakes and waffles.

"Uh huh. And when was the last time you ate?" He raised an eyebrow in her direction as she began to devour her breakfast as though she hadn't eaten for days.

Bonnie paused, a blush creeping to her cheeks. "Two days ago..." She mumbled, but she knew he heard her clearly.

"Two days?!" His eyes widened. "What the hell, Bonnie?!"

She shrugged. "Don't get me wrong..Enzo put the food on the table for me, but I was so caught up in looking for a solution in those grimours I just completely forgot about it." She spoke and went back to eating.

"Fine. But no more putting your life in danger. Okay? And no more missing meals."

She smiled at his concern, his words, his protectiveness making her heart swell. "I promise. Now go on. You need to eat too. I'll be fine, once I finish this I'll get a shower. I'll send you a text when I'm done."

"And miss the chance to see Bonnie Bennett in nothing but a towel all wet?" Damon smirked, dodging a pillow she no doubt tried to aim for his head.

"Get out!" She laughed.

"You put images in my head now, Bon." He smirked at her.

"You're disgusting." She shook her head, her hair falling in front of her face to hide her blush, though he could tell by her rapid heartbeat and stifled giggles that she was embarrassed.

He leaned down and kissed her head. "And you don't know how gorgeous you are, Bennett." He smirked and left the room, leaving Bonnie to stare at the spot where he once stood, dumbfounded.


	3. Chapter 3

Fresh from her shower, Bonnie left the bathroom still covered by her towel. She saw no sign of Damon, and she sat on the bed to get herself dressed. Once she pulled on a pair of jeans and a blouse from the bag Damon had brought up the night before, she was about to shake her hair from the towel on her head when her phone rang again. Without even looking at who it was, she picked up and answered. "Hello?" She spoke as she removed the towel from her head.

"Bonnie."

She froze upon hearing the familiar British tones.

"Enzo..." She whispered.

"So you do remember me then." Enzo spoke dryly. "Could have left me more than a sorry note. Isn't that what Damon did to you?"

"The difference is I'm very much alive and I need space. I didn't dessicate in a coffin next to my best friend."

"No you just ran off into the night with her boyfriend."

"It wasn't like that!" She snapped. "Damon and I are friends!"

"And you chose to leave with him instead of talking to me, your actual boyfriend. If you wanted out you should have told me."

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes briefly. "Enzo, the minute things kick up in Mystic Falls you'd have us back there."

"And Damon wouldn't?"

"I'm not saying that. But he would allow me time for me, no matter how long that took. It's how we always worked. He's a dick, we fight and argue I walk away and he gives me space to cool off and we're okay again."

"Skipping town with him is a lot more different than bickering."

"Okay well maybe I just needed my best friend for a while. I miss him,and maybe I always will whenever we're apart. Much like I miss Caroline when we don't make time for each other. Or Elena cause I know I'll never see her again."

"And me?"

She couldn't lie to him. "I love you, Enzo...but I don't think I'm _in love_ with you anymore..."

He sighed.

"Listen...we had a good run, huh? Almost four years..." She spoke softly. "You'll find that girl, the one who loves you so unconditionally, she won't leave you. I swear, you're gonna find her and you'll be like , Bonnie-who?"

"Meanwhile you'll be chasing Damon like some pathetic teenage girl while her best mate's in a coma. He won't love you, Bonnie. He's selfish and only loves Elena." Enzo spat and hung up.

Speechless, Bonnie stared at the phone, tears stinging her eyes as the hotel room door opened.

"Remind me never to feed off of some homeless person again. At least until they've washed." Damon smirked, closing the door behind him. "You ready, Bon Bon? Cause I could do with...-" He trailed off, the smirk falling from his lips as he saw his best friend before him. "Bonnie?"

Bonnie, who had remained unmoving throughout his entire speech, finally looked up at the last mention of her name, her vision blurry with the tears she refused to let fall, though her resolve was quickly crumbling.

"Bonnie what happened?" He crossed the room and sat next to her on the bed, tucking wet strands of hair behind her ears and gently tilted her head, forcing her to face him. "Bon, talk to me."

Her eyes closed at his gentle touch, a movement that allowed her tears to fall and she turned her body toward him, wrapping her arms around his middle and burying her head into his shoulder.

Damon sighed quietly and hugged her tightly to him, his cheek pressed against her damp hair, allowing her to cry for a bit.

Bonnie wiped her eyes and looked up at him. "I swear that's the last time I get emotional."

Damon chuckled softly, looking at her. "What happened?"

"Enzo called." She sighed, looking down. "Let's just say he wasn't nice about me leaving with you."

"What did he say?"

She shrugged, not looking at him.

"Bonnie, what did he say about us?"

"He said the usual crap. You're only around because you're waiting for Elena. That, in not so many words, you're waiting for me to drop dea-"

"Hold it right there." He cut her off. "Don't even think about finishing that sentence, Bonnie Bennett." He scowled.

"And he called me pathetic. Again. Nothing new." She finished as though he hadn't spoken.

"Can I just ask Caroline to stake him in the heart? Or maybe spike his drinks with vervain."

"No. You can stick to mentally plotting his demise. Now please, pass me that hairdryer." She pointed to the vanity table where the object was.

Growling softly, he stood, passing it to her. "I'm gonna get the car warmed up."

She nodded, knowing it wasn't all he was going to do, and she watched him leave the room again.

Damon flew down the stairs and out of the hotel. He flicked through the contacts on his phone and pressed it to his ear, waiting for an answer, switching the car engine on and the heating as he waited

"Damon?"

"Blondie. I may choke before the end of this sentence, but I need your help." He smirked

"Funny, Damon. Help with what?"

"Bonnie."

"I dunno where she is, I called her this morning and she wouldn't tell me anything."

He already knew. "I do. I got the call this morning from her, maybe before or after you I dunno. But I'm here with her now."

"You are? Where are you guys?"

"Sworn to secrecy right now Blondie. Focus."

Caroline huffed. "Fine. What's wrong?"

"Enzo is what's wrong. Okay ditching him in the middle of the night wasn't fun. But he said some things to hurt her that are mostly not true. I am not waiting for Bonnie to die."

"We know. Deep down he knows that too. He's probably just hurting. But I will definitely kick his ass."

"Thank you, Blondie." He smirked again. "And I can't tell you where we are because Bon Bon wants to go travelling cross country. So we won't be in one place for too long."

"So where are you now?" She would keep asking until he told her, and he knew it.

"New York. Don't you dare say anything." He spoke, but knew the vampire could barely hold her own water.

"I won't. You know Bonnie always wanted to go there for Christmas."

"Where?" Damon heard his brother ask.

"NYC." Caroline looked at him.

"Caroline!" Damon growled.

"Hello to you too, brother."

"Screw you, Stefan."

"Children!" Caroline snapped. "I'd say you act like toddlers but even Lizzie and Josie are more behaved."

"He started it!" both brothers spoke in unison.

"And I'm finishing it. Enough. Damon, say hi to Bonnie and tell her I love her."

"Tell her yourself. If I'm gonna say 'I love you' to Bonnie Bennett, it's gonna be on my terms." He smirked. "Have fun with the Brit, Blondie." He hung up, getting into his car just as Bonnie walked out with her bag. "I thought we could drive further into the city and park up, walk around the sights for a while."

Bonnie smiled at what he said. "You'd do that for me? Even though you've probably seen this city a million times before?"

"This trip is all about you, Bennett. So hop in." Damon grinned at her.

She laughed and jumped into the car, throwing the bag on the back seat.

"Ready?"

She nodded, smiling. "Show me New York, Salvatore."

"As the lady wishes." He smirked and drove.

The duo spent their entire day walking around the city, Bonnie's face lighting up at the many Christmas lights and decorations they passed, and the stores that they entered. Damon had already passed these sights countless times before, he didn't really pay attention. But when it came to her? He would walk over old ground countless times just to see her smile like that again. He knew from their talks back in 1994, that one of her favourite times of the year was Christmas, and he let on that it was once a favourite time for him too, when he was just a child. They had taken photos, he made sure she ate and he even managed to find a local blood bank and steal a few bags.

"Where are we going next?" Bonnie questioned excitedly as they walked back to the car.

Damon shrugged, opening the door for her, waited for her to get in and closed the door, walking around to get into the drivers' side.

Bonnie said nothing to the random act of chivalry, only smiled.

"I dunno, Bon. We could drive until we hit the next state?" He smirked.

She nodded. "Sounds good to me." She spoke as they drove out of New York City, with Bonnie's internal promise to return there one day, having already set her hopes on living there.

A/N One state done. Now guys I'm not American, so without the aid of Google I'm not familiar with the 50 states of America. Nor am I aware of the typical tourist-y things to do, so if you guys could help me? Maybe prompts or scenes you would like me to write? I love you guys and thank you so much for following the story so far.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! I appreciate it so much! About Bonnie dropping everything... we all know Bonnie is a strong willed woman, if she's gonna do something, it won't have been done lightly, she'll have thought about it a lot before doing it and that will be explained when Bamon have a heart to heart. Caroline giving Enzo a piece of her mind...I love her don't you?! Rest assured she will be giving that vampire an ass kicking.

"Thank you."

Damon looked over at the witch, confused for a moment. "What for?"

"Coming with me. I dunno I guess I would have been stuck in some motel just outside of town for the night and gone back home if I was on my own."

He gave her a smile. "Didn't think I was gonna leave my best friend hanging by herself did you?"

She shrugged, turning her head from looking out of the window so she could look at him. "I dunno. I thought you would have talked me into staying now I have my magic back."

"Bonnie. If anyone is due a break, it's you. Hell you're overdue a complete breakdown." He smirked at her.

"I did. When I was alone in-"

"Nope. We don't talk about that. I wasn't there and that asshole left you to die. So it didn't happen." He cut her off. "We are taking this time for you to relax. Maybe build on your magic again. But mainly to put you back together."

She nodded. "I think it's gonna take a bit more than a road trip for that to happen."

"Then I'll be here for as long as it takes. I mean it, Bonnie. Even if it means we don't go back to Mystic Falls."

"You're kidnapping me?" She teased.

"To kidnap you, you can't be a willing participant. Since you voluntarily got into my car, I can take you wherever I want."

Bonnie laughed, shaking her head and looked back out of the window.

The pair sat in comfortable silence for a while.

"D'you think she would be here with us?"

"I think she would have dragged Barbie along for the ride and the three of you would have done damage to my bank account." He smirked.

She laughed again. "I don't mean just to NYC. I mean on this trip itself."

Damon shrugged. "I dunno. There are two things she wouldn't be happy with. I'd be going with you. And if I didn't, you'd be on your own."

She resisted the urge to scoff. It had been years since Elena had thought about anyone but herself. He was right about one thing though. She wouldn't have liked the idea of her best friend and her boyfriend alone together, even though there was nothing going on between them.

"What's this talk about her anyway, Bon? She's not here."

"I know."

"If you're waiting for me to go on about it, stop. I've accepted she's not here and you are. I don't regret choosing you over her. I know I wasn't the best company last time, but if you let me make it up to you I'll show you."

She smiled and nodded. "Okay." She looked at him, wanting to believe him this time. "But actions speak louder than words."

"I know." He smiled at her. "You're my best friend, and I don't have many."

"I know." She nodded again. "Listen...that night, when I was forced to choose..-"

"Don't, Bon. I know. I was a hopeless cause back then. I gave up, I know."

"No, it's not that. I was thinking about what she was saying and...she was right. It didn't matter if I chose you, because you had Stefan and even Caroline, Ric, fighting for you. I chose Enzo because he had no one." She sighed.

"We're too sober for this discussion." Damon looked ahead. "I need to stop for gas and then we'll find a bar."

Bonnie nodded, not saying anything.

Damon stopped for gas, then headed off to find a bar.

"Maybe we should stop at a hotel first?" Bonnie suggested after a long bout of silence. Damon said nothing. "Damon, please. I need to know where I'm gonna sleep tonight."

He shrugged and nodded. "Fine. Check your phone for the nearest one." He looked as they approached Ohio.

Bonnie nodded as she turned on her GPS on her phone for the nearest hotel.

Once there Damon parked in the parking lot and went inside to check in, while Bonnie sorted out her overnight bag and followed him inside. "Did you get it?" She smiled.

"She's just checking now." He nodded, throwing his arm around her shoulder.

She nodded, but she knew he was still...sore about their earlier conversation, she felt completely justified in trying to explain how she felt about past experiences.

"We have a double room available." the receptionist spoke, looking at the couple.

"We'll take it." Damon spoke before Bonnie could react. "What? I just wanna get outta here and get drunk." He smirked.

She rolled her eyes. "Just pay for the damn room." She laughed.

Upon her request, he produced his card from his pocket and paid for the room, the key card being handed to Bonnie.

Bonnie gave a polite smile. "Thank you." She spoke and headed towards the elevator, Damon following behind, getting in and heading up to the room where Bonnie could put her bag down. "I need to-"

"No you don't you look fine. Now move that cute ass out the door so we can hit the bars." Damon smirked. "You're the one who wanted a heart to heart in the car. I need to be drunk before I think about that part of my existential crisis. Now move it, Bennett."

She only rolled her eyes and allowed him to drag her out of the room and the building itself. They headed to the nearest bar on foot, a small pub, not too crowded so early in the night.

Damon dragged her inside and over to the bar, promptly sitting her on the barstool beside him.

She yelped and gave a playful glare at him as he waved the bartender over to them, ordering two glasses and a bottle of bourbon between them.

With the glasses poured and the bottle sat at Damon's elbow, the pair raised their glasses to each other and then downed the burning brown liquid, Bonnie coughing slightly, needing to get used to it again. She shook her head and poured another glass.

"So not only has that bastard messed with my Bon Bon's magic. He's turned her back into the lightweight she was before '94." He smirked.

Bonnie rolled her eyes and shrugged. "It's been a while since I had a drink okay?"

"Sure, Bonnie." He laughed.

They talked their way through two bottles and we're starting their third before Bonnie was brave enough to broach the subject of the siren again. "About earlier..." She knew she was more than drunk enough.

"Go on." He looked at her. It seemed like he was comfortable enough to talk about it.

"I would have come back for you."

The words fell from his lips before he could stop them. "What stopped you?"

She took a deep breath. "Enzo... we...we didn't leave our apartment..." She braved a look at him, seeing indifference masking hurt. "Caroline and Stefan said they would get to you... and when she got Ric too? I thought that's what they were doing. He wouldn't let me leave." She took another gulp of her drink.

Damon shrugged, looking at her without saying a word.

"If I'd have known, I would have dropped everything."

"And he knew that and that's why he didn't let you leave. I get it. You loved him." He downed his glass. "Drink up, we'll go back, you're gonna have one hell of a hangover tomorrow." He smirked.

Bonnie nodded, too drunk to care that he was using jokes as a deflection method. She finished her glass and attempted to stand, only to collapse in a fit of giggles in Damon's arms seconds later.

"Bon Bon, if you wanted me all you had to do was say." He teased.

"Shut up!" She pouted, using him as a means to keep her balance and she wobbled.

He sighed and laughed, putting the bottle in his pocket, grabbing her around the back with one arm. "Put your arms around my neck." He told her. Once she had done what he asked, he put his other arm under her knees and carried her out of the pub, carrying her back to the hotel room. He dropped her down on to the bed.

Bonnie squealed as she was dropped. "Damon!" She whined, curling up. "That was mean!"

"And you're a cry baby when you're drunk." He laughed, pulling the bourbon from his pocket.

She threw her hands out in a grabbing motion.

"You've had enough." He smirked.

"No!" She pouted, pushing herself up and reached for him again.

He smirked. "So you're a cuddly drunk." He laughed and threw off his jacket.

"The room's spinning." She pouted again.

Kicking off his boots and pulling off her shoes, he lay on the bed and pulled her down against him. "Come on then." He smiled.

Happily, still in her drunken state, she snuggled into his chest, wrapping her arm over his stomach. She was soon asleep the minute he started running his fingers in her hair.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Welp. Happy New year guys! I hope you all had the best Christmas and I hope you have the best new year :D Thank you for your reviews, they really help me :)

"I actually hate her!" Caroline pouted as she flicked through Bonnie's social media to look at her photos.

Stefan shook his head, chuckling softly to himself as he pushed the shopping cart around the grocery store with her. "No, you're just jealous cause your friend is having a good time."

"Of course I'm jealous! If I know Bonnie, she's not shopping she's seeing the sights! I mean have you seen her clothes? They're at least three years old!" She huffed. "I love Bonnie, I do. But she hides herself!"

"Evidently not around Damon." He smirked at her, pointing to the picture she was currently at. "Look, just let her have her fun. It's about time she did something for herself that didn't involve killing herself for her friends."

"Really? You're gonna guilt me for feeling jealous?"

He shrugged and laughed.

"Ugh! Just keep pushing the cart! Let me be bitter." She pouted as he laughed again.

When Bonnie awoke in bed, she hazily realised she wasn't alone, not that she minded it. She kept her eyes closed, her head feeling like she'd been attacked with a sledgehammer and she let out a pitiful groan, snuggling further into the body she knew belonged to Damon.

"Look who decided to wake up." He smirked at her.

"Shh not so loud." She whined. "Please tell me we don't have to move."

"I already went down to pay for another night." He confirmed. "How do you feel?"

"Like I'm dead. Again." She pouted.

He laughed quietly, hugging her. "Well you're not dead."

"Shut up." She whined again and relaxed in the embrace. "This is your fault."

He rolled his eyes, laughing again. "Bonnie I didn't force you to drink." That earned what was supposed to be a punch to the ribs, but to him in her hungover state, it was more like a tap. "Maybe a shower will wake you up."

"Wha're you trying to say." She mumbled.

"You're hungover and you stink like a brewery." He smirked.

"Cause we were in one. Not all of us can smell as good as you." She complained.

He rolled his eyes again, the smug part of him saving that confession to tease her about later, the other part knew she was just hungover and not thinking. "Just go back to sleep, Bon Bon. I'm gonna feed and bring back breakfast and coffee for you."

"And chocolate. If I'm gonna have a bed day, we need that."

"Okay. Go to sleep." He smirked again, and again within minutes, her soft snores filled his ears. Gently disentangling himself from her he got up from the bed. He picked up his phone and took the photo of her sleeping, sending it to Caroline. 'Road trip on hold. Bon Bon is a little hungover and worse for wear.' the message read and he pressed send before he left Bonnie alone in search of his own food. Being in such close proximity to her made him need to feed more. On more that one occasion in the night he heard her steady blood flow, his gums starting to itch for just one small taste of her powerful, alluring blood. Sure they'd lived together before, back when they were stuck in 1994. And of course they'd fallen asleep on each other more than once with no problems. He didn't understand why now was such a problem.

Caroline ignored her phone as a message came through. She was intent on walking into the Mystic Grill to look for Enzo. She spotted him at the bar and she walked to him."Hey! Jackass!" She snapped.

Enzo rolled his eyes but didn't face her. "Caroline. What a surprise." He spoke dryly.

"Not really. You must have known Bonnie would talk to me."

"And I suppose she blamed me for her leaving me."

"No she was crying. Because of you and what you said to her!" Caroline glared. "You know as well as I do that Damon cares about her. If he was waiting for her to die he'd have killed her already."

"Except we know that's not true, don't we. Because his precious Elena would never forgive him. You're fooling yourselves if you think Damon Salvatore cares about anyone other than himself."

"And you're out of your mind if you think that he wouldn't do anything for her. I know Damon and I have had our differences, but that's because of our past. I do believe he's changing for the better and I believe it's because of her. Not Elena."

"Damon is selfish. And Bonnie is even more stupid than I thought if she can't even see it."

Caroline growled and shoved her hand into his chest, holding on to his heart. "The only stupid thing Bonnie ever did was love you. Look where that got her. You threw her into danger. Don't contact her again. Don't come to me or Stefan or Matt, or even Ric. We won't tell you where she is." She spoke dangerously low into the panicked face of Lorenzo St John, and she pulled her fingers free, leaving the vital organ still attached. She swiped a few napkins from the table beside them and she wiped her hand, studying her fingers. "Hmm...you owe me a manicure." was the last thing she said before stalking out of the Grill. She took her phone from her pocket, seeing the message from Damon and she giggled softly at the image of her best friend completely passed out drunk. 'It's done. And I hope you're looking after her today.' She replied back and shoved it back in her pocket, heading to her car and she drove back to the Salvatore house.

Throwing the bag of goodies on to the passenger seat and his cooler of blood bags in the passenger foot well, Damon took out his phone and looked at the message, smirking. 'Of course, Blondie.' He sent back and got into the car to get Bonnie's promised breakfast and coffee from a café opposite the hotel they were at.

Expertly he carried the bags, the box of waffles and her cup of coffee up to the room and let himself in. He could hear the sound of the shower running and he set everything down. "Bonnie?" He called loud enough for her to hear.

"Almost done!" She yelled back as the water stopped.

"Finally gonna give me a peek, Bennett? We haven't been on the road that long." He teased.

"You pervert!" She laughed. "Get out!"

"Just let me back in when you're ready." He smirked and left the room.

Bonnie giggled quietly as she left the bathroom, the towel wrapped around her body as she grabbed for her clean pyjamas that she had meant to put on the night before.

Once she was dressed she curled up back in the bed. "Okay!" She smiled.

Damon smirked and walked back into the room, and picked up the box from the table and he handed it to her.

"Waffles!" She gasped happily, taking it from him.

He laughed, watching her. "You act like you haven't eaten them for weeks."

"Bite me." She giggled and ate her waffles.

"Is that an actual invitation?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Fuck yourself." She smirked.

"I'd very happily have you." He shot back with a smirk.

"In your dreams." She laughed.

"Stay outta my head, Bennett." He prodded her lightly.

"I don't even wanna know." She laughed and finished her waffles, happy for the distraction so she didn't have to think about his comments for a moment.

He rolled his eyes and took the empty box from her and dropped down beside her. He picked up the bag full of sweets from the floor and dumped it between them, smiling as Bonnie's face lit up like a child on Christmas morning once again.

"Thank you." She smiled, digging through the bag for a chocolate bar and she lay back happily.

He nodded. "So what made your decision to leave town?"

She groaned with a mouth full of chocolate and she gulped it down. "Really? We're doing this now?"

"Good a time as any." He smirked.

"Fine...it was a snap decision after what happened with the hybrids and siphons."

He nodded, not saying anything. He remembered it too well. Enzo had all but thrown her to the siphons upon learning she had her magic back, all purely to save his own skin under the disguise of doing it to protect Mystic Falls.

 _"Guys we have to think this through!" Caroline tried to reason with the other arguing vampires._ _"What's there to think about? There's a bunch of magic thieves out there intent on taking your kids." Damon shot back. "We pull out their hearts and burn them."_ _"Yeah cause that's gonna be handled by you guys." She said sarcastically._ _"Enough!" Bonnie yelled, her agitation making objects start floating around them._ _"Calm it, witchy." Damon smirked. "They're one spell away from finding you." He added._ _"He's right, love." Enzo came up behind her, gently rubbing her shoulders._ _"It's not often you hear that about Damon." She smiled as surrounding objects returned back to the ground._ _"Rude."_ _"You love me really." She pouted, her eyes sparkling with amusement._ _"You wish, witchy." He smirked._ _Enzo watched them with a spark of jealousy, slightly tightening his hold on Bonnie's shoulder, who was careful not to react._ _Damon noticed, but said nothing. The last thing they needed in a moment of crisis was to be arguing over the vampire and the witch._

Damon sighed, putting his arm around her. "You know if we weren't in danger, I'd have snapped his neck for putting his hand on you."

"What good would it have done? I didn't want the argument so I didn't do anything."

"Do you hear how you sound right now?"

"I know! I know I sound like one of those women making an excuse for her violent partner. But he only ever did that once."

"And you still had the good sense to not say a word. Anyone else you'd have burned them and told them not to touch you. Tell me again how he never touched you."

"He didn't!" She sighed. "It was that once. And we argued about it and what happened with the siphons after."

 _With most of the werewolf witch hybrids dead, the rest in hiding or high tailed it out of Mystic Falls, the siphons were still holding their ground._ _"We will give you what you want!"_ _Caroline stopped as she snapped the neck of a siphon about ready to attack her when she heard Enzo speak out._ _Damon and Bonnie still working as the team they were in their own side._ _"I have a Bennett witch."_ _That caught Bonnie's attention and she stopped mid-spell. "No..."_ _Damon heard her and pulled the heart out of the nearest siphon and dragged Bonnie away from the rest. "Ignore him. They've stopped, you know what to do." He whispered in her ear._ _Bonnie gave him a look, the only confirmation she allowed herself to give that she heard him and she started quietly to recite the spell to disarm them, her voice gradually getting louder as she felt the power within and around her building._

 _The leaves and branches swept around the group as the wind picked up, but Bonnie stood her ground. That is until a body came into contact with her own and she was thrown into the group of siphons, causing her chanting to stop, and a scream of pain to rip through her as one grabbed her arm._ _Stefan acted quickly, running into the crowd and snapping the neck of the one holding Bonnie and she was pulled to safety. The Salvatore brothers and Caroline took Bonnie to Caroline's car for her to recover._ _"Take her home, Care. We've got this." Stefan looked at her and hugged her._ _"You gonna be alright, witchy?" Damon looked at her._ _Bonnie nodded, unable to speak. She could hardly believe what happened._ _The brothers looked at each other as the car drove away._ _"I'm gonna kill him."_ _"We need to deal with them first." Stefan reasoned. "Bonnie will get her justice. Let her deal with it."_ _Damon nodded._ _Later in the evening, Enzo finally returned home. No sooner had he got inside, he was on his knees clutching his head in pain as Bonnie stalked toward him with a dark look in her eyes._ _"How could you do that to me?!" She snapped, dropping her arm to her side stopping the aneurysm in his brain._ _Laying there, groaning and trying to catch his breath he looked up at her. "I'm sorry, love. I wasn't thinking." He used his best pitiful voice._ _"Sorry?!" She scoffed. "You're sorry?! How about I try and rip those fangs out and say sorry afterwards?! Because that's what it feels like to have my magic ripped from my body. And another thing! Ever put your hands on me with the intention of hurting me again and I will burn you." She growled, prepared to give him another aneurysm._ _He stood up slowly, making his way over to her with his hands raised in surrender. "Bonnie please. I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you. I saw the way Damon was acting-"_ _"That's how Damon and I are! We bicker, it's our thing. And you saw what I was doing with my magic!" She sighed, looking at him. "Hell even Damon and Stefan could see it!"_ _"I know." He stopped in front of her, gently and tentatively putting his hands on her arms. "I screwed up."_ _"Yeah you did." She looked at him and pushed his hands away. "I don't want you in my bedroom tonight. You can take the other bedroom."_ _"Bon, please."_ _"No. No you don't get to talk your way out of this." She headed up to her bedroom and shut the door._

Damon listened to her, not saying anything.

"I didn't let him get away with it." She looked up at him. "I'm here now. That's proof enough right?"

He gave her a smile. "Yeah. I know. I just worry."

"You don't have to. I'm a big girl I can handle myself." She smiled. "But I appreciate it."

"Good. Cause I don't care about just anyone." He smirked.

"So I'm like...part of an exclusive group?" She teased, laughing.

"The only member." He laughed.

She grinned and hugged him. "Good."


	6. Chapter 6

"Bonnie Bennett. The 24 year old child."

"Bite me, vampire."

Damon laughed, watching her turn childlike around the festive atmosphere in Chicago. If anyone deserved happiness it was her. "If you keep saying that, witch, I will do as you ask."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, giggling. "No you won't."

He smirked. "Don't test me."

Her reply was tugging him by the sleeve of his jacket toward an outdoor ice rink.

"I'm not going in there with you, Bennett."

"Please?" She pouted, batting her eyes at him with hopeful emeralds.

"That won't work on me." He purposefully looked over her head, he knew he would give in if he looked into her eyes.

"Please, I don't wanna go on my own."

"You're gonna have to."

"Why? Come on! You're my best friend and we're supposed to be on this trip together."

He groaned inwardly. It's true what Sybil had claimed all those months ago, Bonnie Bennett really did have him wrapped around her finger. "Fine. Just remember it's been over a century since I last did anything like this." He smirked.

"Yay!" She squealed excitedly and pulled him to the entrance.

 _'Yep...definitely wrapped around her finger.'_ Damon thought, as the witch's giggles filled his ears.

"It's been a while since I last ice skated too." She admitted with a smile. "One of the few happy times with my mom and dad."

Damon nodded, listening to her. "And to bring all that up again, you wanna do this now?"

"No. I wanna make this new memory. Something I can look back on and smile about. Not replacing it, just..."

"Giving it a makeover." He suggested with a small smirk.

"Exactly." She smiled.

"Fine. Then that's what we'll do." This time he willingly stepped forward to grab the skates with her, and the pair spent the rest of the afternoon on the ice.

"You're such a show off!" Bonnie laughed as they made it back to the car.

"Because I know what to do after 170 years?" He smirked, looking at her.

"Yes! What the hell was all that?"

He laughed. "I sense jealousy, Bennett."

"Shut up." she laughed again.

"What's the plan? Drive on or stop for the night?"

"Drive." Bonnie smiled. "There's so much I wanna see."

"You're gonna be fine sleeping in this car?"

"Well the rate you drive we can make it to the next state before morning."

"Rude."

Bonnie laughed again as he drove. After a long silence, she turned in her seat to face him. "I think I wanna start building on my magic again soon."

He looked at her. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I feel... I feel like I want to step back into it, not just when I have to. I never had the chance to explore it, to learn about what I could do."

He nodded. Coming from her long line, if she tapped into her power, learned how to harness it, control and deliver it, she could be a formidable enchantress, the last in the long line of powerful Bennett witches before her. She'd never need to self-sacrifice herself ever again. "We can always find a coven of witches to help you?" He suggested.

She smiled. "Really?"

"Really. Bon you are powerful, you're... every time I see you when you perform it, it's awe-inspiring. With a bit of training, you could be the best. Almost better than Sheila." He smirked.

She took a playful swipe at his arm. "Almost?! No way I couldn't be as good as Grams..."

"Yeah you could. She knew it, why d'you think she said what she did to you?"

"We were dead, Damon. She was giving me words of hope she didn't even believe in." Even as she finished her sentence, she shivered, as though she could feel the formidable woman sitting in the car with us.

"If she heard you right now, Bennett." He smirked.

"She'd kick my ass for being in a relationship with a vampire and going on a road trip with another."

"Bon Bon, _I_ would kick your ass for being with Enzo if it wasn't partly my fault for leaving."

She rolled her eyes at him, smiling. "Will you leave him alone? I can't help I loved him."

"And he later couldn't give a shit about you." He looked at her.

"Can we not do this? I really don't need or want a run down of all the men to have used and abused me in their own way, thanks."

He shrugged and nodded, looking back at the road. It was true that the young witch didn't have the best luck in her relationships, friendships or familial. It was no wonder that she had some self esteem complex, disregarded her self worth after all she'd been through, all in the name of Elena and anyone else who was in mortal danger.

Bonnie stared out of the window, looking at the scenery they passed. She was doing everything she could not to cry, Damon was right. Her poor choice in who she kept in her company, making her believe she was no more than a scapegoat, a means to an end. Nobody, not even Matt, or hell even Jeremy, had fought to save her life. As long as she saved Elena's pretty head, who cared what happened to her? That was where her burning desire to rekindle and refocus her magic came from. She didn't want to be Mystic Falls on call witch anymore, she didn't want to die anymore.

Damon noticed how quiet she was, the look on her face meant she was so lost in her own head, she wouldn't hear him if he chose to speak. He knew how dangerous that was for her and he stopped the car, turning fully to face her and he gently grabbed hold of her hands, staying there until her fingers sent signals to her brain to register the contact.

A whole five minutes had passed when Bonnie finally realised what he was doing, the fog in her mind shifting but not lifting. "Why am I not worth anything to anyone?"

Her whisper was so broken, his heart broke for her. "Bon..." He spoke softly and pulled her into a hug. "Bon you are." He hadn't realised the impact of his words until then, his words cutting through the flimsy facade of confidence like a knife, slamming her insecurities to the forefront like a freight train.

She clung to him desperately, pulling frantically at the comfort he was giving her.

"I'm sorry." He whispered in her ear. He held her tightly, whispering and dropping gentle kisses to her head. He wanted to take away her pain, protect her, see her happy, love her. That's what friends did for each other. Isn't it? He couldn't describe it any other way. Relationships with the women in his life, intimate or otherwise, hadn't been the best to look at. His mother had 'died' and ran off to collect her own family of crazies, leaving him and Stefan as children at the hands of his father. Katherine had lied and manipulated her way in and out of his bed, and then lied for over a century about being in the tomb. Elena... Elena was never his. Not really. He loved her, of course, and she claimed to love him, but they brought out the worst in each other. He could see clearly now that his relationship with his brother's ex girlfriend had been toxic on them both. He was going to do something about that soon... He was beginning to realise what he had with Elena was in fact obsession, and he had to cut it loose.

Bonnie had lost so much in her life. Her parents virtually non existent, her mother had left her several times in her childhood before eventually giving up on her. Her father disliked magic, spent most of his time away on business trips before his death, though she cherished the moments he would be there and give her the attention and love she craved. The woman she was practically raised by, her Grams had died. The people in her life she'd grown up with- Matt barely spoke to her anymore. She'd lost Elena long ago to the doppelganger's selfishness. Caroline had her own life now with her kids and Stefan.

"Bon? Bonnie."

"Hmm...?"

"Stay out of your head."

She nodded, though actually doing it was easier said than done. "I'm sorry..."

"What for?"

"I... I'm ruining our trip.."

"Stop it. Don't you dare say another word like that."

"I just want it all to go away..."

"I know." He held her. "I know."

"Please make it go away..."

He sighed, pulling back a little to see her face. He couldn't compel a witch. "How?" He asked, gently wiping the tears from her face.

"I don't know..."

"I'm not going anywhere, witch."

She nodded. "Thank you..." She smiled slightly. There was something familiar about being with Damon. She'd felt their bond while they were stuck together in 1994, for all their constant bickering, as entertaining as it was for Kai, she loved him. They had become friends, best friends. She couldn't allow her heart to feel any more for him, she knew he was off limits, he was still in love with Elena and there was absolutely no way he would love her in the same way she could allow herself love him. Her fragile heart would surely stop forever if she allowed herself to hurt again.

"Can we get going now?" She smiled a little more, looking out to the darkening sky.

He nodded. "I'm gonna leave you for a while tomorrow. I need to get your Christmas present." He smirked, starting the car again.

Her eyes wide, she looked at him. "You don't have to."

"I want to." He took her hand and placed it on the gearstick, his hand over hers.

Still in her fog of depression, she didn't notice the action. "Well...thank you. I guess it gives me chance to get you something too." She smiled.

"I'll take that." He smiled back as they drove.

A/N; for those still following this, thank you! I love and appreciate all of your comments/ideas/feedback. Please stay with me, I can't do it all without you. The timeline will speed up a little soon I promise.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: thank you guys for following this! it means so much to me I love you. I'm a little worried that I'm pushing them together a bit too fast. There is a Delena scene up ahead, it will be the /only/ one for a long while. Unfortunately there is no Bamon interaction in this chapter, this is mainly Damon and his stuff he needs to sort out. Bear with me with logistics, I have to kind of bend a few to make this idea work...

Damon awoke in a hotel in Missouri in the middle of the night, Bonnie was still curled up beside him. Gently he got up from the bed, being careful not to wake her. He changed his clothes and looked over at her still sleeping peacefully. He rushed down to the reception and paid for another night for them, and went back up to the room, leaving his card and a note for her to let her know he would be back later.

He quickly left, jumping into his car and drove away, pushing his car past the speed limit through empty roads, driving what should have taken almost thirteen hours, took him only six to hit Virginia, and another hour to hit Mystic Falls. He sighed heavily, pulling his blue Camaro up outside the cemetery. He got out and pushed himself toward the old family crypt and he stood before Elena's coffin. "I'm sorry I have to do this." He muttered. He looked behind him at the young woman standing in the doorway.

"Before I do this, I need to know your intentions toward my cousin."

"I told you all that. I know I've not been in your family's good graces, but I intend on keeping my promise to Emily. Bonnie is my best friend, and I know without her I would lose my mind. I don't need Elena hanging on my neck in sixty or seventy years when I lose her."

Lucy Bennett stood, her head tilted to the side in thought as she considered him. In that moment it all clicked. "Oh my stars..."

"What?" Damon scowled, shifting uncomfortably under the scrutiny.

"You love her."

"Of course I do. She's my best friend."

"No, Damon. You love her."

He growled. "Get on with it, witch."

Lucy walked forward, placing her hands on the coffin, her newly rediscovered magic humming in her finger tips. She performed the spell to lift the seal from the coffin and she lifted the lid. Elena looked as peaceful as the day she slipped under.

Damon looked down at the pale, flawless face, the dark brown hair he had fallen in love with all those years ago. The face that would forever be Katherine's, but her actions, her personality was pure.

"You'll realise your feelings soon." Lucy spoke and ducked out of the way, allowing his time to say goodbye properly.

Damon sighed, rubbing his head and then reached in to take her hand. A hand he believed once fit perfectly in his own. He realised he was wrong to pursue her and take her from his brother. Bonnie believed everything happened for a reason though, if he hadn't gone through all he had, he wouldn't be the same man he was now, preparing himself to walk away from the woman with Katherine's face, the woman he claimed to love all this time. He opened the doorway into Elena's mind and stepped through.

 _"I wasn't expecting you back so soon."_

 _Damon smirked, looking at her. "Things changed." He looked around at his surroundings. The familiar scene of Wickery Bridge in the dark, his memory of Elena he frequently sought as refuge during his time with Sybil before she altered his memories._

 _"Wait... Bonnie's not...?"_

 _The fierce need to protect the witch suddenly took over and he shook his head. "No! No, no she's still alive and kicking. And she's not going on a date with the grim reaper any time soon."_

 _Elena giggled. "Good. I hope you're looking after her. All of you."_

 _"We are." He chose his words carefully. "She's happy. Just as she should be."_

 _"And Caroline? And...Stefan?"_

 _He nodded. "Fine. They're going ahead with some June wedding." He shrugged._

 _Elena's eyes lit up. "Oh my God! She's actually doing it!"_

 _"This thing is something you both know then?" He smirked. "If I don't have Blondie screeching through my house about it, I have a witch sitting by my fireplace jabbering on without a breath."_

 _"The June wedding is something Caroline has been planning since we were in the first grade." Elena chuckled softly for a moment. "Her dad was gonna give her away. Her mom the maid of honour. Bonnie and I the bridesmaids. She planned everything." she gushed. "I couldn't think of anyone better for her to be with forever."_

 _He nodded, listening to yet another account of the same thing he'd heard for months. Then he heard her comment about his brother. He agreed Caroline was the better choice, she would love him and treat him better than Elena or he ever did. But he couldn't help but feel that if he never pursued her, Stefan and Elena may have still been together, or maybe they would have split for different reasons._

 _Elena noticed a change. "What's wrong?"_

 _"I'm letting you go." He spoke, deciding to go ahead with the band aid effect. "Elena I've had chance to think about things."_

 _"What are you talking about? Damon don't do this!"_

 _"Elena listen to me! When you wake up, things are gonna have changed. People will have changed. I'm changing."_

 _Elena shook her head again. "What are you saying?"_

 _"I love you, Elena. I probably always will. But I can't give you what you want or need. We were toxic together. I changed you for the worst, you became selfish, you lost your friends and the only person you cared about was me. That's not the girl I fell for."_

 _"The girl you fell for was in love with Stefan." she spat._

 _"If that were true you wouldn't have looked my way in the first place. You would have told him and allowed him to rip out my heart."_

 _Elena sank back with a petulant look on her face._ _He was right and she hated that._

 _Damon sighed._ _"I'm sorry."_

 _"Who is she?"_

 _"There isn't anyone else, Elena. I've been to literal hell and back and thought about everything."_

 _"Who is she?!" She ignored his explanation._

 _"There isn't!"_

 _"Damon..."_

 _"Elena listen to me for the first time in your selfish life!"_

 _She stared up at him as though she had been physically slapped._

 _"Elena, I'm not looking at anyone else. But I'm also not going to remain celibate and faithful to one woman when she's not here. I changed. I'm becoming a better man." Damon took her hands in his. "I do love you, but I've done my waiting around."_

 _"I'm not Katherine... We can work this through."_

 _"No. No you are so much more than she ever was. She was a hardened bitch. But there's nothing to work through. Especially when you wake up with the cure running through your veins. Your vampirism brought us together. You were heading back to Stefan the night you died."_

 _"What are you saying? That I should go back to him? I can't do that."_

 _"No. You and my brother are done. But so is ours."_

 _"Damon please don't walk away from us... You promised forever."_

 _"Like I said, Elena... Things change. You'll find the love of your life. And when you do? I'll be making sure he's right for you, and don't you let him go."_

 _Elena tried to cling on to his arms, but he was already slipping through her vfingers._

Damon stepped away from the coffin, his hands on the lid. He took deep breaths, calming himself through the ordeal he'd just gone through. He knew letting her go was the right thing to do. "I know you're watching, brother."

Stefan stepped from the shadows, looking at his older brother, he hadn't seen such a stricken look on the man's face since they were children and he'd discovered their father had shot the family dog for making a mess in the house. "Whatever you just did...I know it's gotta be hard on you."

"I just let her go."

Stefan faltered in mid step, staring at him with large absinthe eyes. "Why?"

"Because I know in sixty years, or whenever she wakes up, she won't be who I want, we'll have all changed."

He nodded. "But to really let her go? Who changed your mind?"

"My dear cousin." Lucy couldn't help but to speak up.

"Not just that!" Damon growled, though he couldn't deny Bonnie had been a huge part in the decision making. "I came to my own conclusion." He stood straighter, closing the lid of the coffin. "I should get back to her."

"Where are you now?" Stefan looked at him.

"Missouri. Texas is next on her list." He smirked and gave him a brotherly slap on the shoulder. "I'll keep you posted, brother."

Stefan watched him leave, and heard the car being driven away. He didn't know when he would next see his brother, or Bonnie. But at least they seemed happy.

"Do you wanna speak to her before I seal it again?"

Green eyes turned on the coffin where his ex girlfriend lay. Even after everything that had happened, if it all went wrong with Caroline, and Elena showed up on his doorstep, he knew he would welcome her back with open arms. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"What are you most afraid of?"

"Letting her back in like nothing's changed."

"Maybe you need to speak to her then? Clear your own head. Come on anybody can see you adore Caroline. Just like I'm sure you were once with Elena. But if you're thinking about it, you already know what you need to do." Lucy looked at him. "I'm in no rush to get home. Abby can manage fine without me, though she doesn't know I'm here."

A/N: There it is. I absolutely _hate_ writing Delena scenes... but I think this had to be done. What do you guys reckon? A wee bit of Stelena confrontation? Or straight back to our little Bamonship? You heard the man they're off to Texas next! I have voicegrl to thank for that little gem. I'll have to do a bit of research in what they can do there though unless you guys can help. This is the longest christmas ever! I'm thinking they can spend Christmas there and head somewhere else come new year.


	8. Chapter 8

Stefan walked toward the coffin, lifting the lid, gazing upon the face of the woman he once loved more than his own bloodlust. He sighed softly, green eyes full of sadness as he took hold of Elena's hand.

 _"Elena...?"_

 _The young brunette looked around at him, the scenery changing to the lake house. "Stefan." she smiled softly. "Damon told me about you and Caroline. Congratulations."_

 _Stefan nodded giving her a lopsided grin. "Thank you."_

 _"And I don't even need to give the whole sister speech about looking after her, I know you will."_

 _"She looks after me." He joked._

 _Elena giggled. "Yeah I suppose she does. It's who she is."_

 _Stefan noticed her smile wasn't as bright as he remembered. "Is everything okay?"_

 _"What's going on between Damon and Bonnie? Be honest with me, Stefan. Please."_

 _Stefan blinked, dumbfounded at her sudden question. As far as he was aware, the witch and his brother were just friends. "Nothing. They've just got close over the years."_

 _"How close?"_

 _"Elena I don't know what you're suggesting b-"_

 _"Yes you do, Stefan." She cut him off._

 _"Bonnie and Damon are just friends. There's no way they would do that to you." He looked at her. Even though he didn't believe his words, he had to make her listen. His brother deserved to be happy, and the more he thought about it, the more he realised that Bonnie was the one who made him happy, not the thought of seeing Elena again one day._

 _"You're lying."_

 _He sighed heavily. "What do you want me to say, Elena? As I see it, you told Damon to move on, be happy. Bonnie's friendship has kept him sane. Anyway she's with Enzo."_

 _Elena stared at him for a moment. "You're right... I'm sorry." She spoke softly. "I hate that Kai did this. He made Damon choose between me and Bonnie and that's not fair to him or her."_

 _"Damon is happy. and so is Bonnie. And Caroline, and me."_

 _Elena nodded. "Good. You deserve to be happy. What about Ric and Jo? Did she live?"_

 _Stefan shook his head, his expression changing to one of sadness. "No, we couldn't help her. The twins survived though. Caroline carried them."_

 _"Caroline's a mom?" She gasped, a soft smile on her lips._

 _He nodded. He hadn't realised how much he missed her, how much he loved her until this moment._ _The logical part of his brain wondered why now was the time to realise his love for her never left him. But he had Caroline to think of._

 _"That's brilliant news." Elena smiled. "She would be the best mom."_

 _"She is. She's good with the girls." He smiled._

 _Elena couldn't help but feel jealous of her best friend. Caroline had everything she wanted. Even Stefan, in an interesting turn of events. A fiance, children, a home. A family. Something she wanted for herself._

 _"I guess I'm missing a lot then." Elena looked down, she couldn't quite make herself smile._

 _"You'll get your happy ever after, Elena. Someone will love you and give you all of that. Don't forget you have the cure running in your veins, you're human again." It was Stefan's turn for his smile to not reach his eyes. He wanted it all with her, but he had to steel himself. It wouldn't be good for him to dwell on the past, to wonder all the what ifs. He should be saying his final farewell like his brother._

 _Elena raised her gaze to look at him_

 _"I guess you're right... You found your happiness, you and Caroline. Congratulations." She smiled._

 _He nodded. He loved Caroline, his relationship with his brother was better than ever. The twins loved him, and he loved them. They weren't biologically his, hell they weren't even Caroline's, but they were as close to the family he once dreamed of as he was going to get. "Thank you."_

E _lena could see the wheels in his head turning. She stepped toward him. "Are you alright?"_

 _He cleared his throat and nodded again. "Yeah. Just thinking." He looked at his former love. "I didn't think planning a wedding would be this stressful."_

" _You're marrying Caroline. Stress is a given." Elena giggled. "I love her, I do. But leave the planning to her. Anything she gives you to do, do it."_

 _He chuckled softly, listening to her. "You're right."_

S _he closed the gap between them and she hugged him. He was familiar. She'd be lying if she said she didn't miss the closeness they had, the love they had for each other. Deep down she knew she never stopped loving him, Damon was just too consuming. Too passionate. It overwhelmed her, confused her and she lost herself in him. She found herself in the younger Salvatore brother_.

 _Stefan instantly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. He knew he loved her, he'd never stopped. After a few moments, he pulled away from her and smiled. "I should go."_

 _Elena nodded. "Yeah. Be happy, Stefan. You deserve it, and so does Caroline."_

 _He smiled again and left her alone._

Stefan lowered the lid once more and stepped away. "Seal it."

"Did it help?" Lucy walked to him.

He shook his head. "No." He shrugged. "It doesn't matter now anyway."

Lucy nodded and placed her hands on the coffin, reciting the spell to seal the lid closed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You were right, I needed to do it. I guess it will be clearer later." He looked up, hearing the shrieks and laughter from Lizzie and Josie. "I know what I have to do." He left the crypt, heading back across the cemetery.

The young Bennett witch sighed softly, watching him leave. "Someday you'll figure it out, Stefan." she whispered and walked out, heading to her car and she drove away, leaving Mystic Falls once more.

Heading back to the hotel in Missouri, Damon headed to the room he shared with Bonnie and walked inside. He looked around, shopping bags littering the floor, clothes thrown across the bed."What damage did you do, witch?" He smirked.

A giggle came from the bathroom. "Not much."

He walked forward, picking up a deep blue dress, checking a price tag. "Not bad."

Bonnie walked out of the bathroom. "Where did you disappear to?" She smiled.

"Just something I had to do." He smirked. "I know of a coven in Dallas, we can head there tomorrow if you still want to work on your magic."

She smiled and nodded. "I do."

"Great, that's our next stop." He grinned. He loved seeing her happy just as much as he loved watching her connect with her magic, though he'd never tell her that. Especially in the early days when he would hide in the shadows of the forest, watch her call upon the elements, perform even the simplest forms of magic. She had a certain glow about her.

Bonnie smiled and hugged him. "Thank you."

The vampire hugged her back tightly. "Don't mention it." He smiled. "So, show me what you bought."

She nodded, grinning. "Stay here." she pulled herself from the embrace, collecting up her purchases and she disappeared into the bathroom.

He laughed. "I didn't mean your own fashion show!"

"Well you'll get it. So shut up and deal with it!" She giggled.

He rolled his eyes, smirking as the witch proceeded to emerge from the room in a dress she'd bought, parading around the room as though it were her catwalk, and she did this with all the items of clothing she bought.

With each change he watched her appreciatively. He wasn't stupid or blind, he'd always known Bonnie was beautiful. Each dress a little more revealing than the last, Bonnie Bennett was getting bolder, loving herself more, not shying away from showing the world exactly who she was.

"I figured if I was gonna focus on me, a new wardrobe was needed." she grinned.

He nodded, unable to find the words to speak. He was going to need a cold shower.

Her smile faltered at his silence. "Don't you like them?" She shuffled on the spot, suddenly self conscious.

Like them? He loved the clothes on her. He would much prefer them on the floor with his own if he was completely honest. He stood up and walked to her. "Bonnie Bennett. You look hot in whatever you wear. You just left me speechless."

"Wow. Guess I should frame that moment." she teased with a small smile.

He smirked, reaching to move a stray curl from her face, tucking it behind her ear, he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "You're a very special woman, Bon."

Bonnie smiled, looking up at him. "Thank you." She turned on her heel and pranced back to the bathroom to change back into her other clothes.

"We should go out tonight."

"Are you asking me out?" She teased.

"Maybe I am, witch." He smirked.

Bonnie laughed and she nodded. "Alright. We'll go. Where are you taking me?"

He shrugged. "I don't know yet. We could just go out and see where we end up."

She nodded. "Okay. I need to get ready though."

"Hint taken." He smirked. "Want me to get you anything?"

She shook her head. "No, thank you."

He nodded and left the room, heading to the hotel bar while she got herself ready. Two glasses of bourbon down and he looked toward the entrance, spotting the short caramel skinned woman heading over to him, dressed in one of her new dresses, sending his brain into overdrive, swarming with inappropriate thoughts and emotions about his best friend.

Bonnie was well aware of the male attention she was getting, it didn't make her turn around, it pushed her forward toward Damon where he stood waiting for her. She couldn't decipher the look on his face, not completely. She stood in front of him, and linked her arm with his. "We gonna go?"

Damon nodded. "Let's go then, Bon Bon." He smirked and walked out with her.

A/N: Next up; road trip carries on, Christmas in Texas (finally ;D!)


	9. Chapter 9

Bonnie woke up in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room. She slowly looked around the room, finding herself alone, though she heard a shower running, she figured that Damon was in there. Stretching out across the bed, a soft moan escaped her gritted teeth and she pushed herself up into a sitting position on the mattress. She reached for her phone and checked her messages. There were several from Caroline wanting information about her whereabouts, what they were doing, if she'd met any hot guys she could taunt Enzo with. With a quiet giggle, she began to reply to her last message, going over everything.

' _Morning to you too, Care ;) You're lucky I love you right? I don't know where we are and I was just sleeping. And no. Sadly for you, no hot guys. ;) I'm sure you'd change it if you were here though :-*'_

The water stopped and moments later Damon left the bathroom, his towel wrapped around his waist. He looked over at the witch who was now awake, but engrossed in her phone. "Something interesting there Sabrina?" He smirked as he went to grab his clothes.

Bonnie only briefly looked up at him and quickly looked back at her phone, fighting against the temptation to keep staring at him. "Uh..."

He smirked again, he could tell she must have looked, her heartbeat picked up and suddenly she had a nervous air about her. "C'mon. It's not like you haven't seen this before."

"That was in the prison world and you know that was an accident."

"It's not my fault you failed to knock before you walked into my bathroom."

"I wasn't expecting you there! Never mind doing...what you were doing!" She squeaked.

He laughed. "And you never wanted to _relieve_ a bit of tension?"

She threw the pillow at him. "I'm not answering that!"

He grabbed his clothes, chuckling and went into the bathroom again. He would never tell her that he had in fact heard her once or twice. He had been tempted to slip into her bedroom and show her exactly how it should be done.

Bonnie sat with her head in her hands, her face burning with embarrassment. She was going to fry his brain once she got control of her magic. She looked up seeing him reenter fully clothed. "Where are we?"

"Dallas." He spoke.

She nodded and walked into the bathroom.

"I'll get breakfast."

"Anything other than pancakes."

He smirked. "No promises witchy." He swore he heard her giggle and then cover it up with the running water of the shower. He left the room.

Once showered, Bonnie left the bathroom, looking around for Damon, breathing a sigh of relief when she couldn't see him, she walked further in, and got herself dried off and dressed, trying not to think of their conversation. How had he known? She was sure he was out when she... No. She wasn't going there. She was drying her hair when Damon returned.

Damon lay the box on the table beside her. "Food for the lady." He smirked.

"Are you trying to make me fat?" She teased.

Damon looked her up and down, smirking. "Well the fact that there is nothing to you, I don't think you ever could be."

"Shut up." she smiled and took the box with her breakfast in.

"What? You look good, and I know it. You should know it too."

"Just good?"

"Okay so you're hot." He smirked. "You know it and I definitely know it."

"That's better." She smirked and took a bite from the pancakes.

"We'll track down the witches soon if you want."

Bonnie smiled. He always had a way of taking her mind off of things, even when he was the one who put those worries in her head in the first place. She nodded. "Yeah that could be good. I just need to finish getting ready and we can go."

He nodded, knowing there was no way to talk her out of it. "Fine."

"Damon I know patience is a problem for you, but I, like a lot of other women, like to make ourselves look good. For ourselves if nothing else."

"But you don't need it!" He whined and dramatically flopped on to the mattress.

Bonnie tried not to laugh with a mouthful of pancakes and swallowed before speaking. "It's not a matter of needing it, it's a matter of wanting to. So suck it up." she pushed away the empty box and started the hairdryer again, trying to ignore the tips of the vampire's fingers tracing patterns on the bare skin of her left hip, where her shirt ended.

Eventually she set the hairdryer down, Damon was still keeping his contact with her. "Are you finished?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Only if you are." He grinned.

Bonnie couldn't help laughing, she stood up, hearing the whine of disappointment coming from the vampire.

"Way to kill the mood, judgy."

She failed to understand why he wanted to keep physical contact with her the whole time. "I'm not Elena." the words slipped off her tongue before she could stop them, unable to keep the slight bitterness from her voice. ' _Come on, Bon you should have got over this!'_

Damon sighed, sitting up, looking at her. "I know you're not."

"So what's with you invading my personal space all of a sudden?"

"You don't like it? Ok I'll stop." He didn't want to.

"What are we doing?"

"Talking."

"Smart ass."

He let out a frustrated groan. "Bonnie! Stop this! Elena is not here you are not competing with her! I like spending time with you."

"Why?" She looked. Why was it so important to her?

"Because you're my best friend! And I'm here with you, and I love you."

Was that all she was? He wasn't sure. He did love her, he knew that much.

Bonnie looked up at him. "You what?"

"You heard me witch."

She refused to allow her heart and her mind to listen to him. She couldn't hear him tell her he loved her, because she knew he only loved her as a friend.

"We should get going." She packed her bag back up and grabbed her phone.

He didn't bother arguing, he stood up, taking her bag and the pair left the room, heading down to the car. He threw the bag on the back seat and they both got in, and he drove out of the parking lot heading to where he knew the coven of witches resided.

After an hour drive, he stopped outside a house. "There are 3 sisters that live here, the rest of the witches are scattered around the estate. Aside from you, they're the only witches I tolerate."

"Which one did you sleep with?" She smirked.

"Rude."

Bonnie laughed as she left the car, walking up to the house with him.

Damon was about to knock the door when it opened, revealing a young woman with short brown hair.

"What are you doing here?"

' _That answers my question.'_ Bonnie thought, amused.

"Belinda is that any way to greet an old friend?" He smirked. "Come on I just need a bit of help from you and your incredibly hot sisters."

The woman snarled and was about to shut the door when Bonnie stepped in. "Please, don't mind him. He's asking for me."

Her expression softened as she looked upon Bonnie. "I'm sorry, forgive me. There's only so much of him I can deal with so early in the morning."

"Believe me I know." Bonnie smiled.

"Hey!" Damon scowled, then hissed as she elbowed him. "You have extremely pointy elbows." He rubbed his side.

"I suppose you should come in then."

"Thank you." Bonnie smiled, following Damon inside.

The other witch closed the door and gently placed a hand on Bonnie's arm to guide her when she stopped with a gasp.

The Bennett witch turned on her heel instantly, she recognised that reaction, one she hadn't seen in a very long time. She hadn't realised how disconcerting it was when the visions were directed at herself. ' _Now I know how Elena felt all those years ago...'_ She moved to pull her arm away just as the other witch shook herself out of her vision.

"You're already a powerful witch. Why have you brought her to us?" She looked up to Damon.

"Because she has no control over her magic. She's been used as the tool to save all our asses and she never got the chance to explore her power. I just want you to help my best friend to do that."

' _Best friend? Sounds more like his lover_.' Belinda thought. ' _But a Bennett witch with no control? That could be dangerous.'_ She looked between the two. "This could take a while. And with it being Christmas Eve tomorrow, We won't have much chance to do anything for a couple of days. We could make a start today."

Bonnie nodded with a smile. "Thank you. I would like that."

Damon looked at her with a smile. "See I told you we would deal with it, Sabrina." He spoke as they were left alone.

"And I told you you slept with one of them." she laughed.

"It was a long time ago." He smirked.

Bonnie rolled her eyes, smiling. "You're ridiculous."

"Thank you."

They pair headed further into the house until they found the trio of witches.

"You let the vampire back into the house?" One of the sisters spoke.

Belinda shrugged. "He seemed genuine. He wants to help his friend."

"I am genuine!" Damon grinned.

"Damon, shut up." Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"A Bennett witch friends with a vampire?" The elder sister looked over the top of half-moon spectacles, obsidian eyes staring straight at green ones.

Bonnie gave an embarrassed smile and nodded, feeling very much like she was in the headmistress' office. "Yeah, I didn't plan on it, trust me."

"You ought to be careful who you allow in your company, Miss Bennett."

"Gia are you gonna help her or not?" The younger sister asked.

"Of course we will. But I won't help a vampire."

Damon shrugged. "Doesn't bother me." He smirked. "It's my friend who needs help." He left the room.

Bonnie was lead outside by the two elder witches, leaving Belinda inside. The young witch followed Damon out. "So what's the deal with you and her?"

"You lost me."

"Of all the years I've known you, you have never once been this protective over anyone, not even your brother. She means something to you."

Damon shrugged. "She's my best friend. She's been through a lot."

She nodded. "Just a best friend?"

He scowled, he wasn't ready to face those thoughts yet. "Well what else could she be? She's an annoying witch who's neck I don't mind leaving in tact." He took out a rectangular box, handing it to her. "I need you to put a protection spell on this for her."

Belinda nodded, opening it to reveal a delicate silver bracelet set with emerald stones a shade brighter than Bonnie's eyes. "Of course." She left the room for a few moments.

"She's the last of her line. For now." She spoke, handing the box back to him upon entering the room.

Confusion overtook the vampire now. "What do you mean?"

"The vision I had. She'll have a good life. I see her with her soul mate, but he's just a blurry figure, and I saw four children with her. A set of twins, and the other two younger."

Damon shrugged. "Our other friend has twin girls." He spoke, trying to make sense of what she was saying.

Belinda nodded, it wasn't her place to comment on the trivial things like skin colour, or the fact that these children were not siphons.

"But if she's gonna be happy, then that is a good thing, because she needs it." He nodded. The man in her vision was obviously human if he was going to give Bonnie Bennett children.

Belinda hid the smirk on her face, turning to walk outside to her sisters. She found them with Bonnie at the edge of the forest that lined their land. The young Bennett witch looked serene and peaceful as she reconnected with nature.

"Remember, Bonnie. You can't gain control until you obey your element. Control the earth, channel your core." Gia spoke in a firm yet gentle tone.

Bonnie nodded, the tones reminding her very much of her Grams. "But my element is fire."

"This will help you to control it." Gia told her. "When you feel ready, call upon it, and light the candles."

It seemed pointless to her, she already knew how to light the damn candles! But apparently she needed to go back to basics with her magic. She took a deep breath and willed the fire to come.

Damon smirked from the window, watching as she performed her magic, lighting the candles in the house and the ones around her. He knew he made the right choice. The Gallow sisters were the right people to help her.

Bonnie slowly opened her eyes, she seemed to know Damon was watching her, she looked around.

"He's inside." Belinda smiled.

Bonnie nodded.

"You're doing well, Bonnie. I know you've done all of this before, and it's frustrating going over old ground. But this is necessary, your core is so confused it doesn't know what to do, because you've taken on too much in the past. Have you done any other form of magic?" The other sister, Hayley questioned.

"Uhm... years ago... I was talked into trying Expression."

Gia's eyes hardened. "Expression is a dangerous form of magic!"

"I know... trust me I know. It killed me. Literally."

"It was you. Wasn't it? You're the inexperienced witch who brought Silas back."

Bonnie nodded, looking at the grass beneath her fingers. "I was brought back as the anchor to the other side... which ended up getting destroyed. And I died again taking Damon with me."

"How is this possible? Where did you end up with no Other Side?"

"1994 prison world... where Kai Parker was released from. We came back from that and he linked mine and my best friend's lives together. She is in a magical coma as long as I live."

Gia waved her hand, extinguishing the flames. "Well. No wonder your magical core is looking to over exert itself. If it does that, it will kill you. And this time there is no back up plan."

"That's kind of why I'm looking to get out of Mystic Falls for good."

Belinda nodded. "And that prison world is how you and the vampire ended up as friends."

Bonnie smiled. "Yeah. I used to hate him. I could give him an aneurysm just for the hell of it. But I guess dying together changes you."

"She tends to set buildings on fire when she's mad." Damon smirked, walking to them.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Exaggeration, much." she muttered. "So I'm emotion-led. Sue me." She smirked. "I could still burn your ass."

"Try it then, Bonica Magica." He smirked.

"Enough." Gia held up her hand. "I won't have you taunting her just to get a rise out of her."

Damon just smirked, looking at her. "She wouldn't. We died together, I mean something to her."

"Don't you have a phone call to make? To Stefan maybe?" Bonnie smirked.

"Fine." He laughed and walked back to the house.

Gia watched them closely. They claimed to be just friends, their communication spoke of lovers, their actions said they were afraid. Afraid of hurting one another maybe? Her younger sister was always the romantic, always spoke of soul mates, always claimed that there was someone out there for everyone.

Belinda looked at her. "Gia?"

The older witch shook her head. "Mhm?"

"Is everything okay?"

She nodded. "Fine. We should continue."

Bonnie looked up at them, waiting further instructions.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thank you guys, your reviews mean the world to me :) yes, Bamon are a slow burner, kind of makes sense considering the years they've spent at each others throats, then they died together and reluctantly became friends. So yes, there will be some reluctance to admit more than friendlier feelings towards each other. a couple of you have guessed where this is going. Don't worry, Bamon is endgame, regardless of the interpretation of Belinda's visions. A little clue there... ;) Also I would like to apologise for the fact that chapters are not very long right now, they will get longer. I promise. Much love!

Christmas Eve came, and with it came a snow storm. The atmosphere inside the house was buzzing with excitement and anticipation for the holidays as the rest of the witches coven, and their children gravitated to the house.

Bonnie smiled, watching everything and everyone around her. It reminded her of home, in Mystic Falls. She looked behind her as she felt a tap on her shoulder, it was Damon holding her phone out to her. "You've been summoned, witchy." He smirked. She rolled her eyes and took the phone, answering it, walking to find a quieter room.

"Hey, Bon!" Caroline spoke cheerfully. "Happy Christmas!"

Bonnie giggled. "Happy Christmas, Care."

"How is everything going? Meet anyone new yet?"

"It's great. You need to try it, it's so freeing." Bonnie smiled. "I met a coven of witches. Well...Damon brought me here, he knows them. They're helping me control my magic."

"Oh my God that's great." Caroline smiled.

"The older witch, I swear she reminds me of Grams. The way she's teaching me these things. Okay so I'm being told everything I already know, but apparently this is what I need to do to gain control."

"Isn't that a bit boring?"

"A little." She giggled. "But surprisingly I actually like going back to basics. It reminds me of who I'm supposed to be."

"You are Bonnie Bennett. With or without magic, you are still my best friend and I love you."

Bonnie giggled and nodded. "I know, and I love you too. But I'm also a witch."

Caroline smiled. "I hope Damon's behaving himself."

"Define behaving himself." She smirked.

"Rude." He jabbed a finger into her side, making her squirm and laugh.

"Hey!" She swiped at him. "That answers your question." She spoke into the phone.

Caroline smiled, listening. "Same old Damon."

"You could say that." Bonnie agreed.

"When are you coming home? I miss you, so do the girls. And we've never spent Christmas apart."

Damon scowled, hearing the blonde guilt her. "She'll be home when she's ready."

"Damon!" Bonnie sighed. "Sorry... I know, and I miss you too. We'll be back soon enough I swear."

"I know. It just feels weird being apart."

"Yeah... Elena's in her coffin... our families are..."

"Dead." Caroline finished. "I hate it too."

"I promise I'll come home. I just...don't know when."

"Okay." Caroline sighed, looking up as the door opened and two loud voices called out to her.

"Mommy!"

"I'll let you go." Bonnie smiled.

"No! I'm sure they'd wanna talk to you first." Caroline spoke as the twins ran to her and hugged her.

"Who's on the phone mommy?" Josie questioned.

"It's Aunt Bonnie. Wanna talk to her?" Caroline smiled as she was met with a loud affirmation. "Okay hold on." She put the phone on speakerphone.

"Hey you two." Bonnie smiled.

Damon noticed the smile didn't quite reach her eyes as they both heard the twins' chorus of "Hi Aunt Bon!". He sighed and put his arm around her.

"Are you excited for tomorrow?"

"Yeah!" that was Josie.

"We can't wait! When are you coming home?" That was Lizzie.

"Soon. I promise. I just have to do a few more things." Bonnie's voice was thick with emotion.

"Where did you go?" Josie asked.

"I went travelling across the states."

"On your own?"

"No. I'm with your uncle Damon."

"Are you gonna be together with him like mommy and uncle Stefan?"

"Josie!" Caroline hissed.

Bonnie giggled, looking at Damon, who was looking amused. "No, sweetie. I'm just his friend."

"Oh. Well you should...you're like mommy and Stefan."

"Josie Saltzman that's enough!" Caroline took the phone from the giggling twins. "I swear... Bonnie I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Bonnie laughed. "It's just kid stuff."

"Please don't get with Damon. Honestly I can only handle so much." Caroline giggled.

"Rude. It's really Bonnie's choice." Damon smirked.

Bonnie laughed again. "Will you two please be quiet? I'm not thinking about _any_ relationship right now."

"Good. Time for Bonnie Bennett to think about herself." Caroline smiled.

"Definitely." Bonnie agreed. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. I'm sure you've got Christmas all planned."

"Okay. I love you! And we miss you."

"Love and miss you too, Care." Bonnie hung up and put the phone on the table.

"You alright?" Damon asked, keeping his arm around her.

"No... but I will be." She smiled. "I do miss home."

He nodded. He even missed his brooding little brother. "I know. But this isn't forever."

"What if it is?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"I have my heart set on moving to New York... I really wanna get out of Mystic Falls, but I know I'd miss my friends."

He nodded. "Getting out would be the best thing for you. And once you move, you'll have your own place, and you'll still be able to go back, or they can come to you."

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah I guess so."

"The snow should clear in a few days."

"And we can go?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Where do you want to go next?"

"I want to see a bit more of Texas." She smiled. "Belinda said Austin is good for new year."

"Then we will go." He grinned.

She smiled again. "Want to help me? I'm gonna work on my magic a bit more, and... well I guess you calm me."

"Is that so, witchy?" He smirked, holding her close.

"Mhm." She nodded, looking up at him. "So will you?"

"Fine, but no migraines."

"No promises." She giggled. "You easily piss me off so if I can't get my own back, what do I have left?" She added, then squealed when he tickled her sides. "No! Okay okay I'm sorry!" She laughed, squirming trying to get away.

He laughed and dropped his hands, looking at her.

Both of them were so caught up in each other, they hadn't noticed they were being watched by the youngest Gallow sister.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Belinda smiled at the other witch. "Working my magic."

"You can't force someone to realise their love. You know they have to do that on their own."

"I'm not!"

The older witch looked at her. "Belinda."

"Celine."

"Stop it, and come on, we have work to do. If they are destined, they will find each other in their own time. And judging by the look of them, it won't take an eternity." Celine spoke and pulled the young witch away.

Bonnie smiled, walking up the stairs to work on her magic, Damon following behind her. She entered the guest room she was sleeping in. "This is where I've been practicing all last night."

"Is that why you shut me out?" He smirked.

"No I shut you out because for once I had the covers to myself and I didn't have to listen to you snoring." She said in a humorous tone.

"Really? Well at least I don't babble on in my sleep about stuff I can't understand."

"For the last time I do not talk in my sleep!" She laughed.

"Yes you do, twenty one days I've had my sleep interrupted by your constant talking. You talk enough in the day, I'd like a rest from your voice." He smirked again.

"So pay for separate rooms." She smirked back.

"I don't want to."

"Stop complaining then." she raised her hand, lighting a candle by her bed. "Grams always told me to control my emotions... that's where my power lies I guess..."

"Really? I hadn't noticed." He said sarcastically.

Bonnie just smirked and looked at him, sending her magic at him.

Damon groaned, clutching his head. "Okay okay I give!"

She giggled and released him. "Good."

"I help you get control of your powers and this is the thanks I get? Physical abuse, mental torture?" He spoke dramatically. "I thought we had something special Bon Bon."

"Well you didn't say no to being my experimental guinea pig." She smirked.

"You didn't ask me. Now there's a lot of things you know I wouldn't say no to." He smirked back with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"You're disgusting."

"I know."

She laughed and shook her head.


	11. Chapter 11

The following morning Bonnie awoke, her head clearer than it had been in a long while.

She looked to the side of her, expecting to see Damon, only to find his side empty. She'd be lying if she told herself she didn't feel a pang of disappointment, having grown used to her best friend invading her personal space on an almost twenty-four hourly basis.

It was the smell of pancakes cooking, and the faint excited chatter of children below that made her get herself out of bed with a smile. She walked out of the room and down the stairs into the lounge, the coven and their children around the Christmas tree, happily exchanging presents.

Damon entered the room with plates filled with pancakes and he placed them on the table.

"Some things never change." Bonnie smiled, walking to him.

Damon smiled, seeing her and he hugged her. "Happy Christmas."

She hugged back. "Happy Christmas."

"Come on. Pancakes are getting cold and these little parasites are gonna eat them all."

She laughed. "Children. Damon. Not parasites."

"Same thing." He smirked.

Bonnie rolled her eyes and sat down to eat her breakfast.

With the plates empty, the children went back to playing with their presents.

"I got something for you." Damon smiled, looking at Bonnie as she helped him clean up.

"You honestly didn't have to." She smiled back. "I got you a present too."

"I wanted to."

The pair washed and put away the dishes they'd used before heading back to the noise.

Damon picked up the small rectangular box and handed it to her.

Bonnie smiled and unwrapped her present, opening the box, and her jaw dropped. "Damon, I..." she trailed off, her fingers ghosting across the emeralds as though they would shatter if she applied any pressure. "It's beautiful..."

He smiled, watching her. "It's got a protection spell on it, so it will keep you safe when you wear it."

She looked up as tears filled her eyes. "Thank you."

"Hey, come on." He hugged her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing... it's just... no one has put that much thought into a gift for me before."

"I just wanted to give you something special."

Bonnie looked up as she felt a tiny hand tap her back.

"Are you sad?"

Bonnie smiled at the young boy and she shook her head. "No, I'm not sad."

"So why are you crying?"

"Cause I'm happy."

"Girls are weird." the boy shrugged and ran off.

The pair laughed quietly, watching the child run back to his friends.

"Kid, you have no idea." Damon smirked and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie looked up.

"If I remember right, you still have some magic to practice."

Bonnie smiled and stood up, heading to another room so she could retrain herself with Damon's help.

A few days later, the pair said their goodbyes to the sisters.

"Remember what I told you, Bonnie. Keep yourself grounded, channel your element. And don't try any more restricted magic." Gia told her firmly.

Bonnie nodded, once more feeling like a scolded schoolgirl. She didn't dare disobey her orders. "I promise."

"I'll keep the witch in check." Damon smirked. "Come on, witchy the open road awaits." He took her bag and headed to the car.

"Keep in touch, Bon." Belinda smiled and hugged her again.

"I will. Thank you for your help, and for letting us stay." Bonnie hugged back and headed to the car. She waved as they drove away.

"I sincerely hope she does not fall back into her old ways." Gia sighed softly.

"I don't think Damon would allow her to." Belinda spoke in a soft tone. "He seems to be very protective over her. I think he might even love her."

"I do know that she loves him." Gia agreed with her sister. "I sense that there is a deep connection with them, he seems to be her influence."

Damon looked over at the witch beside him, seeing her writing. "Is that for Elena?"

Bonnie nodded. "I know, it's stupid and-"

"No I wasn't gonna say that." He cut her off.

"I just wanted to tell her something good."

"I know you did. And you'll have many more opportunities to write in your journal to her about all the good things you achieved."

"You're starting to sound like Caroline." she teased.

Damon smirked at her. "Be quiet and go back to writing."

She giggled and dropped her head down again back to her book.

Three hours later, the duo hit Austin, Damon pulled up outside of a hotel and they checked in.

"I want to explore the town." Bonnie grinned.

"Come on then, Bennett." He dropped her bag and walked out with her.


	12. Chapter 12

Bonnie had just stepped out of the shower, picking up her phone from the sink to change the song she was listening to, and almost instantly Caroline's name flashed up on the screen. She answered and put her on speakerphone while she got a towel around her body. "Hey Care."

"Hey."

Sensing the change in her friend's tone, she threw on her bathrobe and snatched up her phone, taking it off speakerphone and put it to her ear. "Care, what's wrong?" She spoke and left the bathroom. Caroline was annoyingly upbeat, and the goddamn ray of sunshine that their peers used to tease her about in school. So to hear her sound dejected and sad, Bonnie knew something wasn't right.

"Ric and I argued... he took the girls and I haven't seen him since Christmas day."

"Care... what happened?" Her heart broke for her friend.

"I don't know... Something came up and he said he had to take the girls earlier than planned. I wouldn't let him leave unless he told me. He... he said that I shouldn't care so much cause I wasn't their real mom."

Bonnie gasped softly. "Biologically, no, but you are still their mom, Caroline. You carried them for the rest of the pregnancy, you gave birth to them. You brought them up." She shook her head. "I saw you in that delivery room. The bones in my hand still haven't fully healed." she teased.

Caroline gave a sad giggle.

"I was gonna go out tonight, but I could cancel-"

"Don't you dare!" Caroline cut her off. "You're gonna go out and celebrate the New Year. You're gonna find some hot man and you're gonna kiss him at midnight. Because that's what you deserve, Bonnie Bennett."

"I doubt I'm gonna find him. Haven't found him all this time."

"Because you've had Damon hanging on your back." Caroline smirked.

Bonnie giggled, looking at the bracelet he had given her on the table beside a box she hadn't seen before. "I guess." She stood up and walked to the table to get a better look at the box.

"I know that tone. You're curious about something. What is it."

Bonnie said nothing in response, picking up a small card on top of the box. She read it briefly, and set it down.

"Bon?"

"Hold up." She spoke softly and opened the box, pulling back a layer of paper. She scooped up a delicate looking piece of fabric. She shook it down revealing a shimmering black satin dress. "Oh my God..."

"What?"

"Care I'll call you back." She quickly hung up and called Damon.

"Bon Bon." He smirked.

"What is this?"

"What's what? Gonna have to be a bit more specific."

"The dress. On the table?"

"Not sure what you mean, Bonnie."

"Damon I know your handwriting. You didn't sign your name but I do know how you write."

Keeping up with not knowing what she was talking about seemed like a good idea. "What does the card say?"

"You know what it said."

"Bon Bon, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're insufferable. The card said 'this would look great on you tonight' what the hell does that even mean?"

"Bon, I didn't give you any card." He smirked. "Maybe you're reading too much into it."

Bonnie shook her head. "Black's not really my colour." she smirked.

"Give it a try. Might surprise you." He smirked and hung up.

She looked at her phone and scoffed. "Impossible." She looked back at the dress in her hand. She couldn't deny it was a nice dress, the material feeling soft as a kitten in her fingers. "Damon Salvatore I hate you." she spoke with a smile on her face and she proceeded to get ready for the night ahead.

"Woah, Ric what the hell do you mean 'you're in Dallas'. Why?" Damon questioned his friend on the phone.

"Because Mystic Falls only brings danger and I can't have that for the twins." Alaric sighed.

"Daddy, when is Mommy coming with us?" Lizzie looked up at her father expectantly.

"She's not coming, Lizzie. She's staying with Stefan."

"Ric you're gonna have to tell me what the hell is going on. Why isn't Blondie with you? Did something happen?" Damon fired the questions without time to answer.

Ric sighed. "Lizzie go and play with your sister." There was a pause while his daughter did as she was told and Damon heard a door click shut. "Caroline and I argued and it reopened old wounds. I said I couldn't stay in a place that brought danger. When she tried to say she would come with me I told her she wasn't really their mother and it was best she didn't have contact with the girls again. We left Christmas dinner and I haven't been back since, not even to get their presents."

Damon growled lowly. Sometimes he could really kill his best friend. "Ric, what the fuck?"

"I know I messed up. But I also meant what I said. As long as she's with Stefan and staying in Mystic Falls, my kids will be hurt. I can't do that to them."

"She is still their mom Ric! I'm sorry to remind you, but Josie is dead, and Caroline is the only mom they know! You can't take that away from them. You know that she loves those girls."

"I know." He sighed. "Are you still in Dallas?"

"Nope. Moved on, and I would love to invite you, but I already have Bon Bon to keep me on track." He smirked.

"Then someone should protect her."

"That's gonna be me. I can handle her."

"Oh really?" Came a feminine voice behind him.

Damon just smirked and turned to face Bonnie, opening his mouth to speak but no words left his mouth. When he'd picked the dress, and imagined her in it, the image in his mind did not do her justice. The dress shimmered in the light in the bar, cut to just above her knees showing off perfect caramel toned legs, with a modest V-shaped neckline, with no back to the dress. It hugged her figure in all the right places.

"Damon? Are you there?"

Bonnie walked forward, closing the space between them and she took Damon's phone from him. "Ric he's gonna call you back." she smirked and hung up, putting the phone down on the table. She then took a seat on the stool beside him. "Damon you're gonna catch flies like that."

Damon shook his head and turned to face her. "I was right." He smirked.

"What?"

"It does look good on you."

She scoffed. "No it doesn't. It looks amazing on me." She smirked again.

Damon just nodded in agreement and ordered two more glasses of bourbon and handed it to her.

Bonnie took it and raised it. "Here's to the new year." She smiled and they both drank their glasses.

"Come on then, witchy. We have a party to crash."

Bonnie giggled and stood up, Damon's hand automatically touching her bare back to guide her out of the hotel bar. Bonnie tried to ignore the jolt coming from the gentle touch, and she automatically moved closer to him. She put it down to the cold air outside.

Damon looked down at her and shrugged off his leather jacket and put it around her shoulders. "I think you forgot a coat on purpose, witch." He smirked.

Bonnie giggled again. "I did not. I just didn't think we'd be leaving the building."

He rolled his eyes as they walked.

"Anyway it's not like you need it." She grinned, clutching it to her.

He chuckled and put his arm around her.

"Don't even think about saying anything." She elbowed him.

"Me? Never." He laughed.

She shook her head as they entered a club, she shrugged off his jacket and handed it back to him.

A while and a few drinks later, Bonnie had separated herself from Damon and was on the dance floor dancing in the crowd. She knew Damon was keeping back to keep watch on her, but that did not stop her from enjoying herself.

"You're a better man than I am."

Damon turned his head to the voice of a man who's eyes were in the same direction Bonnie was in. "I don't follow."

"If that was my girl out there with all those guys I couldn't stand by and watch."

Damon shrugged. "She's not my girl. She's my best friend. My girl is currently lying in a coma." He was lying, but he also knew Bonnie wasn't his. Nor would she ever want to be, she deserved better.

"Sorry, man. I thought with how you were looking at her... so she's free?"

Damon had to resist the urge to rip into his throat. "No. She's not on this trip to pick up. She just got out of a relationship, and he was an ass to her."

Bonnie extracted herself from the crowd, heading over to Damon with a laugh. "I thought you were meant to be coming over."

"Bon Bon, you know I'm not nearly drunk enough." He smirked.

Bonnie rolled her eyes and snatched up his glass and drank from it. "But I am." she smirked in a playful way.

The man Damon was talking to cleared his throat and left the pair alone.

Damon smirked back at her. "You knew his game."

"Of course I did. I can see it on your face. Now come on!" She grabbed him by the wrists and pulled him toward the crowd again.

Damon didn't leave Bonnie's side most of the night, except to get their drinks, he was building her tolerance of bourbon back up. At least that's what he told himself. He couldn't believe just how beautiful his best friend was, her once perfect curls now coning loose from their hairpins from all the dancing she'd been doing, her dress drawing his eyes over her body more times than he cared to imagine.

"One minute to the new year!"

Bonnie grinned up to him as the announcement was made.

"Still glad I came with you, witch?" Damon smirked.

Bonnie nodded. "I wouldn't have changed it for anything." She smiled, closing the already small space between them and she rested her head on his shoulder. The night's alcohol consumption was affecting her more than she realised.

Damon smiled back at her, a hand gently caressing her cheek, along her jawline before coming to rest on the back of her head, beneath the soft curls.

The countdown from ten had started, but neither witch or vampire paid much attention. Fuzzy green eyes gazing up at clear blue. Bonnie gave him a slight nod.

That tiny action was all Damon needed to lower his head and capture her soft, pouting lips with his own in a kiss.

Fireworks exploded both outside and figuratively in Bonnie's head as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself impossibly closer to him.

Damon eventually and reluctantly pulled himself away from her, smirking at her.

Bonnie looked up, breathless and confused. "I don't understand..."

"Do I need to do it again? Cause I don't mind."

"But... but you don't see me that way... Elena...-"

"Screw Elena. Bonnie I've wanted to do that for a long time. But you were happy with..Enzo."

Bonnie shook her head. The kiss had only reopened old feelings she'd had since their time in 1994. But that was a time she knew his feelings weren't reciprocated. "I think...We're both drunk..." she tried to pull away.

Damon just held her tighter, though not enough to mark her. "No, Bon. I care about you. You're the one person apart from my brother who keeps me sane." He paused, looking into her eyes. He knew he loved her. Probably always had, but was too blinded by jealousy and the need to provoke his brother and hurt him. The more he thought about it, the more he realised that Bonnie Bennett was the only constant he'd had in his life since his return to Mystic Falls. She'd gone from feisty witch whom he hated, slowly becoming the one friend he knew he could rely on. The amount of times he'd fought to save her, blindly in the name of Elena, without realising it was for his own benefit, not so Elena could have her best friend back. "Bonnie Bennett. I love you."

Bonnie looked up, tears filling her eyes at his admission. She really hoped this wasn't one of her dreams. No that would be just cruel to her, and she couldn't endure any more heartache. She'd realised her feelings when they were trapped in 1994, but she knew they ran much deeper than that. She'd hoped all the times he'd come to her rescue, fought to bring her back, that it was for her, and not for the girl who hadn't been her friend for quite sometime before. Now she was at her most vulnerable and he knew it. Oh, please don't let this be a trick... she thought."D...-Do you mean it...?"

He didn't answer her. He only dropped his head back down to hers to steal another kiss.

Again, feeling lightheaded, she melted against him, smiling. It was Bonnie who pulled away to look up at him again. "I love you too."

The following morning, Bonnie awoke wrapped inside a cocoon of a warm body, protectively holding hers close, the steady breathing tickling the back of her neck. She smiled softly, gently turning so she could look up at the sleeping face of Damon. Even in both their state of undress, Bonnie knew nothing had happened between them the night before. She'd had a bit to drink, but not enough to completely block out the entire night.

She stretched her neck to softly kiss his neck and she slowly untangled herself from him, and she headed to the bathroom for a shower.

As the bathroom door clicked shut and he heard the running water, Damon opened his eyes, the first genuine smile on his face for a long time. He was finally happy, and his little witch made that possible. He knew he had to tread carefully, move slowly with her. After all, being constantly pushed aside in favour of an alluring doppelganger and constantly being forced to sacrifice herself for the people who claimed to love her had obviously given her a self esteem complex. He'd made a mistake choosing to dessicate to protect her instead of being there by her side. A mistake he wasn't going to make again. He would show Bonnie that she was worth being loved, that she was worthy of life. He would make sure she never had to hurt herself or die for anyone else ever again.

He pushed himself up and out of bed, getting dressed. He quickly wrote her a note telling her he'd gone for breakfast and he would be back straight away and he left.

Bonnie had finished in the shower and left the bathroom. "Damon?" She looked around, spotting the note on the bed. She smiled and proceeded to dry her hair with a towel. She knew she'd have to speak to him about the previous night, and that thought alone made her stomach knot up. What if he regretted what he'd done and said? Would he act as though nothing happened? Pretend they had never opened up to each other? She swallowed thickly, reaching for her phone with trembling hands to check the messages she'd no doubt received as the night drew on, wishes of a happy new year and hopes to see each other soon from Matt, Caroline, Stefan and Ric. Then she stopped at a voicemail message. She put it to her ear, listening to a drunken message from Enzo, apologising profusely for his actions and the spiteful words he'd said to her. And a declaration of love. He'd told her he was going to track her down and show her just how much she meant to him and he wouldn't leave until she was home with him. She rolled her eyes and deleted the message, throwing it down into the bed, and she herself lay backward, the towel around her body remaining fixed in place.

Damon entered the room after an hour. "Bon?" He looked at the bed where the woman in question was laying, underneath the covers and she'd put her phone down as though she'd just finished a conversation. He smiled, seeing her look at him. "I brought food."

"You were out longer this time." Bonnie commented with a small smile."Was beginning to think you forgot about me."

"Never, witchy. I just didn't realise how much I needed to feed. But I'm fine now." He handed her the tray with her breakfast on.

"Thank you." She smiled and grabbed it.

As she leaned forward, Damon glimpsed more of her skin to realise she still wasn't dressed, and he growled lowly, the blood he'd consumed swiftly diverting to his pants. "I'm just gonna head for a shower. I'll be quick."

Bonnie nodded, oblivious to Damon's immediate struggle with his senses, and she started to eat.

Damon quickly walked to the bathroom and shut the door. "Bonnie Bennett you will be the death of me." He spoke quietly as he switched on the shower.


	13. Author's note

A/N: I understand that Bonnie was a little OOC in the previous chapter, in the real world she wouldn't just hang up on her best friend. But in that moment her head is completely turned by Damon. So there was a reason for it...but she did call her back the following morning, I just alluded to it rather than go into detail. But thank you for the reviews I do appreciate it. Just know I will not be writing every single movement each character makes. If I did that I would run out of things to write very quickly and people would lose interest in my writing if I lose interest too. I haven't changed the characters _too much_ that you can't predict what would happen next. If I haven't written that Caroline hasn't called Bonnie or vice versa, or Damon hasn't given Ric a verbal battering over the phone, you can kinda guess that it's already happened behind what I've written.

I thank you for constructive feedback and I will also endeavour to give my reasons as to why I take the route I do. in no way am I saying you shouldn't give your opinions I do value them a lot. I love you all!

I've written this as an AN because some of you haven't logged in to review, otherwise I would have done this more privately.

if you have any more ideas as to where you'd like me to take it or any suggestions please tell me.

The route I set out to take was to work it up to include Kat's music career, only make it Bonnie's journey. Hence the title being from one of Kat's songs... Not sure how it would happen yet, or if the course will change. That all depends on you guys.

with great love and respect

~VirgoGirl14


	14. chapter 13

A/N: I swear I must be boring you every time I say thank you, but I do really appreciate your words of support. There are a lot of twists and turns coming out of these plot bunnies in my head, I just need to make sense of them, and try and make this as epic as I can for you. Yes the kiss happened pretty quick but that doesn't mean they will be together. Yet. But feelings are there and they are known. I've also begun to read the VD novels, which is quite interesting... anyway! on we go.

"Damon?"

Damon looked across the table to her as they sat in a diner, waiting for Bonnie's food to arrive. "Bonnie."

"What are we doing? What happened last night? I mean... I _know_ what happened... But..." Bonnie paused in her rambling, looking up from the napkin she was nervously twisting in her fingers.

Damon reached forward and gently put his hands over the top of hers to stop her fidgeting. "Bon, I don't regret anything that happened last night, and I meant everything that I said. I know... I know that right now you wouldn't believe me, given all that's happened in the past years. But I need you to believe me when I tell you that I do love you."

"I know I'm not-"

"If you finish that sentence." He looked at her pointedly. "You're not her and you never will be. No, you're so much more than she is. I don't care how long it takes, I will prove to you that you are who I want to be with, and not her, if you will let me."

Bonnie nodded, smiling a little bit. "Okay." She spoke as the waitress brought her food over, moving her hands from Damon's so she could eat.

The pair spent the week travelling through Texas, exploring every part of the state Bonnie chose to go.

"Remind me again why we're headed back to Dallas?"

Damon looked over at Bonnie as he drove. "Because I need to make sure Ric hasn't had a head transplant. After what he told me and what you said, I know something isn't right."

"Maybe don't let me near him. I feel like I could actually kick his ass for how he treated Care. She didn't deserve what he said."

He nodded. He knew she would act upon what she was saying. "If I could kill him myself, I would, Bon."

"But those girls still need a dad, yeah I know." She sighed.

He gave her a smile and gently squeezed her hand which rested beneath his on the gear stick.

The blue Camaro pulled up outside the motel Ric was staying in with the twins. The pair made their way inside and to his room, and Damon knocked the door. He heard the twins laughter grow nearer, and then the door opened.

"Uncle Damon!" The twins yelled happily and attached themselves to his waist, hugging him.

"Hey, munchkins." He grinned, gently tapping them on the head.

"Don't I get a hug?" Bonnie teased, smiling.

The girls looked up and detached themselves from Damon and barrelled into Bonnie, who caught them both in a tight hug.

"Traitors."

"I'm the better one." Bonnie smirked.

"Deserters!"

"Damon stop being a drama queen." Ric smirked.

Bonnie stood from the ground, Lizzie in her arms and Josie at her hip.

"I think we need to talk, Ric."

"Girls, why don't we go get some ice cream?" Bonnie smiled and she left with the twins, leaving Damon with Ric.

"You're gonna explain to me what the hell is going on." Damon looked at him. "Because this dive isn't a good space for your kids."

Ric sighed and nodded. "I know. I needed some time."

"Thought any more about Caroline?"

"What about her? If she can leave Stefan behind then she can come with us, she knows that. I can't keep putting my kids in danger."

"My brother isn't the cause of that, you know he would do anything he could to keep them safe. Look, they're both happy, they're together in their sickly sweet little fantasy ending."

"As long as she's with him she won't leave Mystic Falls behind, and that place brings trouble."

"Stefan would go wherever she asked him to. Don't feed me that bullshit. If I didn't know any better I'd say you were jealous." Damon was met with a questioning look. "What? You had your own little family for a while with her. She kept your kids alive, she was gonna marry you. You loved her. Then Stefan came back and ruined it. But, Ric, she always had her eyes on Stefan. Even while Elena was with him."

Ric groaned inwardly. Damon was right and he knew it. "I screwed up."

Damon nodded. "But if you call her, I think you can pull it back."

Bonnie was sat at a table with Lizzie and Josie in a cafe, waiting for the waitress to bring the girls ice creams and her coffee.

"Aunt Bonnie?" Lizzie looked up at her.

"Yeah?"

"When are we going to see Mommy?"

Bonnie sighed softly. "When was the last time you spoke to her?"

"Forever ago." Josie spoke with a pout.

Bonnie couldn't help but feel anger at Ric, the man who had done everything in his power to protect her, her friends. The man who had once been her teacher and mentor and surrogate guardian to her best friend. "Well...how about I call her? And we keep it between us."

"I don't want Daddy to be mad at her." Lizzie shook her head.

"Why would he be mad, sweetie?"

"Cause he was saying mean things to her."

"I'm not gonna tell him if you don't."

Josie nodded. "I want Mommy."

Bonnie smiled and took her phone, calling Caroline.

Caroline answered on the third ring. "Hey, Bon."

She could hear the false smile in her friend's voice. "Hey, Care. I got someone who wants to talk to you." she smiled and handed the phone to Josie.

"Hi Mommy!"

Caroline bit her lip as she felt tears sting her eyes. "Baby... oh I'm so happy to hear you. Where's your sister?" She smiled as she heard Lizzie's voice in the background. "Are you both eating okay? Where are you?"

"We miss you, mommy. We're okay." Josie nodded.

"I miss you too, babies. I miss you so much."

"Mommy, Bonnie's giving us ice cream!"

"Did you have lunch first?"

"Nope!" Bonnie smirked, taking the phone from Josie as their ice cream and her coffee came.

"Bonnie Bennett, you're a bad influence."

"You adore me."

"Thank you for what you did. Does Ric know about this?"

"Nope. And we don't plan on telling him either. And no crying. At least not right now."

Caroline giggled and wiped her eyes. "Understood. Where's Damon and Ric then?"

"I left them back at the motel. Whatever Damon does is up to him."

"Why do I get the feeling you're not telling me something?"

Bonnie smiled. "That's for me to know."

"Bonnie Bennett!"

Bonnie dissolved into giggles. "Caroline Forbes!"

"Fine! But next time I see you, you're telling me."

' _I might have it all figured out by then...'_ she thought. "Fine." She smiled. "I better go. Ric and Damon just walked in."

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you too." Bonnie hung up. She looked up as Damon and Ric approached them.

"Is it safe?" He smirked at her.

"For you, yes. If he's not gonna sort it with my best friend, no." She smirked back at him.

Ric nodded. "I'll call her later."

"Then get a chair. And if you ever treat her like trash again I will personally throw you through the nearest window. And it will be a time where Damon won't be able to save you."

Damon took his seat beside Bonnie, looking impressed.

"Message received and understood." Ric sat beside his daughters.

Bonnie nodded, picking up the coffee mug and she settled back into Damon's arm.

Ric looked at Damon in confusion, and was met with a smirk.

The four of them left the cafe after the girls finished their ice cream and Bonnie finished her coffee.

"What's going on with you and Bonnie?" Ric walked with Damon back to the motel as Bonnie hugged the girls.

"Not sure what you mean." He smirked at his friend.

"You know exactly what I mean. Just don't mess her around."

"I wouldn't. I care about her."

"Do you love her?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

Ric nodded. "Caroline will stake you if you hurt her."

"I know." He smirked. "But I don't think Bon wants her to know everything yet. I don't even know if I would want anyone knowing. So we're just gonna slow down, this is her time, not mine, anything that happens will be on her terms."

"Damon Salvatore growing up. Never thought I'd see the day."

Damon laughed.

"When can we see you again?" Josie looked up at Bonnie.

"I think I'll be home soon." Bonnie smiled and kissed her head, doing just the same to Lizzie.

"How soon?" Lizzie asked.

"I don't know." She smiled.

"We're gonna miss you."

"I know, sweetie, I love you both, and I'll be home soon."

The girls nodded and ran inside.

Bonnie looked around her, she felt like someone was watching her, but she couldn't see anyone.

"Everything okay, Bon?"

Bonnie whirled around, seeing Damon. "Yeah... yeah I'm fine..."

"Doesn't look like it."

"I just...feel like I'm being watched. Can we get out of here?"

He put his arm around her shoulders and walked her to his car, opening the door for her.

Bonnie smiled and got into the car.

"Lock the door."

"Why?"

"I'm gonna find out who's out there."

"Damon please, I just wanna go. Please."

"I'm gonna look around, I'll be quick."

She sighed. "Okay." She locked the door.

Damon walked in the direction Bonnie had previously been looking in, but found nothing. There was a faint, familiar scent that hit his senses and he growled. Enzo had followed them. He knew he had to get Bonnie away and he sped back to the car, getting inside.

"Did you find anything?"

He shook his head. "No."

She smiled. "Then I guess it was probably my imagination."

He nodded and drove away.

/where to next guys?


	15. chapter 14

A/N: I actually love you guys and your little ideas, they're much appreciated. As for Enzo, yeah he's gonna get a little shady, a wee but stalker-like. He's not one to let things go so easily is he, and I think that's where he and Damon are so similar, both stubborn, both see something they want and will do anything to get it.

Damon was woken up in the middle of the night by the vibration of his phone, he blinked in the darkness and reached for it, picking it up and answered it as soon as he saw his brother's name. "Stefan? What is it?" He spoke quietly, looking over at Bonnie sleeping soundly beside him, he got out of bed and left the hotel room.

"I kinda need your advice. It's about Caroline."

"Stefan. It's 2 am. This couldn't wait until the morning? I mean, I know you're not in love with her. I know you're trying to do the right thing by her." Stefan tried to interrupt, but Damon carried on as though he hadn't made a sound. "But it's time to grow a pair, baby brother and deal with it. Tell her. Just... when Elena wakes up in so many decades, don't let her flutter those big brown eyes and fall back into her trap. You deserve better than that. Now I'm going back to bed. I suggest you do the same."

Stefan sighed. "We don't have the best luck with women, do we."

"No. But that changes now. You're old enough to fuck up your own life and deal with your own shit. I should know I've been doing it for long enough myself. You're not going to clean up my mess."

"You should also know that Enzo left Mystic Falls. No one knows where he went."

"I do. He tracked us here, so we're headed to the next town."

"Does Bonnie know he's essentially stalking her?"

"No, and it's gonna stay that way unless he finds her. I let her down once I'm not gonna let it happen again."

Stefan nodded. "Goodnight, Damon."

"Night." Damon hung up, heading back into the room and he got back into bed.

Bonnie rolled over to face him and she put her arm across his stomach. "Who was it?" she asked tiredly.

Damon put his arm around her and pulled her close against him. "Just Stefan. It was nothing serious."

"Maybe Care told him about Ric?" She questioned, stifling a yawn.

"Go back to sleep, Bon Bon." He kissed her head.

Bonnie nuzzled against his chest and closed her eyes, going back to sleep.

Damon lay awake, staring into darkness. If he saw Enzo he'd kill him. He wouldn't allow him to manipulate Bonnie again. She deserved better than that. Deserved better than him. He didnt know how long it took for him to fall asleep, only to wake up the following morning to Bonnie missing from the bed. "Bon?"

He got up from the bed and went to the bathroom, finding it empty. He immediately went to his phone to call her, seeing a message from her.

'Gone out for breakfast. Didn't wanna wake you, you looked too peaceful. B'

He nodded at the message and got dressed, heading out of the door, and out of the building. He spotted Enzo in the car lot and he walked to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I came for her. And I'm not leaving without her. This charade has gone on for long enough."

"Enzo, she doesn't want you. She left you while you were sleeping. I drove her outta there."

Enzo's eyes darkened at his comment. "She had a temporary lapse of judgement in the spur of the moment. It was a long and different day and I screwed up. I'm here to make it up to her."

"We're old friends. But don't make me put you on your ass. You need to give this up. I am saying this as her best friend, leave her alone. Don't screw this up when she's finally happy and finally relaxed. Not once has she had to look over her shoulder, or prepare to die. She's happy, and if you loved her you would respect her decision."

"So I should just leave without telling her how I feel? That I wouldn't give up?"

"No. You need to let her find her way back to you, if it's what she wants. If she doesn't, well you weren't meant to be." He knew she would never go back to him. Leaving with Enzo meant going back to Mystic Falls, and he had plans to put as many miles as he could between his witch and the town she grew up in.

Enzo listened and he nodded. Any previous thought that he was going to steal Bonnie from him disappeared, replaced by a feeling of guilt. "You're right." He sighed.

"Get out of here. Before she sees you and starts worrying about what's going on back home."

"I could just-"

"She wouldn't believe you. You haven't called her or anything you just showed up."

The other vampire nodded and went to his car, driving off.

Damon growled and ran his hand through his hair, looking around. He headed out of the parking lot and he called Bonnie.

Bonnie answered. "Hey. I'm just finishing up, I'll be heading back soon."

"No, Bon it's fine. You don't have to rush."

Bonnie looked at her phone for a moment and sighed. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing."

"Damon, to those who don't know you, you're a fantastic liar. I've known you for nearly eight years."

"Bon Bon I have it all under control."

'Meaning you don't.' She thought with a roll of her eyes. "Have what under control?"

"The nothing I told you about. All dealt with."

"Must be a pretty big nothing. Alright fine, I'm gonna head into the town, have a look around."

"Sure. Where do you wanna head to next?"

"Hmm... I'm thinking... Colorado."

"Got it. Feeling like Dorothy yet?" He smirked.

"Huh?"

"The wizard of oz. Kansas."

"Your jokes are getting more terrible by the day." Bonnie giggled.

"No place like home, Bon Bon."

"Okay I'm hanging up now."

Damon just laughed. "No you're not."

"I will. I hate you."

"You love me." He smirked.

"I must have been drunk when I said that." She giggled.

"We both were, we both meant it."

"Shut up and let me go I wanna go and explore!"

He heard the laugh in her voice and smiled. "I'm not stopping you, Bennett. Let me know where you are later and I'll come and get you."

"I will." She smiled and hung up. She decided she was going to jump into a cab and go to a museum. She headed out of the restaurant and looked around her.

"Hello, Bonnie."

Bonnie froze in place for a moment, and then slowly turned to face the person behind her, looking up into angry, dark brown eyes. Keeping her expression neutral, trying to calm her already speeding heart rate, she stood tall. "Enzo."

"Don't you think this has gone on for long enough? It's time to come home."

"I'll come home when I'm ready. Now if you'll excuse me." She tried to sidestep around him, finding him blocking her path. "Enzo let me go."

"I can't do that."

"I'm not going home! Mystic Falls isn't home anymore."

"That's even better! We'll find our own place wherever you want to go."

"Enzo... I'm not going home with you... We're not together anymore it would be unfair to you." She turned to head back into the building.

He had to act quickly, he grabbed her arms behind her and dragged her back to his car.

Bonnie struggled, trying to break free, to use her magic on him but she couldn't call it.

"I wouldn't if I were you. I will break your arm." He growled into her ear, causing her to stop struggling. He watched as her head bowed and he threw her into the back seat of his car and he got in the drivers side, locking the door. "Give me your phone."

Bonnie refused to cry in front of him, instead she glared at him furiously. "No."

"I don't want to hurt you, Bonnie. You know I love you. But if you don't do as I say I'll make you do it."

His words struck her like an ice pick to the heart. She had never seen him this way, never heard him speak to her in this way before. She didn't recognise the man before her, he wasn't who she'd once fell for.

"Bonnie I'm doing this for your own good. I love you and you love me, I know you do, what happened was just a bump in the road.

"Who are you? This isn't you, Enzo. This isn't what you do to someone you love." She spoke as he drove away. "You always treated me with gentle love, words that would make even the most depressed teenager swoon... you would never have made me do anything I didn't want to, and I don't want to do this... Please just take me back there."

"If I do that, that means I have to let you go and I don't want to do that."

"What about what I want? When we were together you always made sure I never did anything I didn't want. If I didn't want to be the witch that saved everyone's ass, then you made sure I didn't." The more she thought of it, the more she realised she was in a controlling relationship. Whatever she did he was always there, telling her it was in her best interests. He was never too far away, and she'd been drifting away from Caroline, from Elena, Matt, and Damon. Damon had been right when he'd surmised that wasn't the first time Enzo had put his hands on her, she just never realised it at the time. As if he knew she was thinking of him, Damon's name flashed on tbe screen, she answered before her tone sounded and hid it in her pocket.

"Everything I did, it was for you. You'd spent too long thinking about others."

"So you made sure I would only think of you."

"It kept you safe!"

"It kept me away from my friends, Enzo! Whenever we were at that cabin! Every time you took my phone when Care called!"

"I knew what they all wanted. You know they only call when they want something. They don't respect you like I do they couldn't give a damn if you lived or died." He knew what he was doing. The same trick he used every time to get her to see his reasoning, that kept her in his bed for the last four years. He'd had her dependent on him almost the entire time. "They don't care about you like I do, Bonnie, they don't love you."

Bonnie shook her head, her old anxieties trying to break through the wall Damon had helped to build around them.

'No. Bonnie don't listen to him.' Damon thought. Throughout the whole phone call he was already in his car, tracking them once he caught Bonnie's scent.

"Yes, Bonnie. You know it's all true, they only want you when they want something. I want you for you. I would do anything for you."

"If you loved me you wouldn't be doing this..."

Enzo turned his head to look at her with a smirk. It took less time than he'd thought to break her down. "I'm doing this because I love you."

Damon was pleading soundlessly with her not to believe him, silent promises to find her and never let go. And then he heard something that made his undead heart stop in his throat.

"Enzo look!" Bonnie had screamed, and then the scraping of metal, the line went dead.

"Bonnie!" Damon shouted and threw his phone on the passenger seat. Pushing his car past the speed limit he drove in the direction he thought they were.

The car was a mangled wreck, after being flipped after a collision with a bus.

Bonnie was unconscious and bleeding from several places.

A few conscious people from the bus crash had found a way out of it, some checking other people, a young woman heading to the car. "Has someone called 911!? There's two more over here!"

The man on the phone raised his hand as he spoke to the operator, letting her know about the crashed car. "Who are they? Are they okay?"

"I don't know. There's... Oh my God! I do know her! That's my neighbours kid! That's Bonnie!" She tried to open the car door.

"Miss, be careful, wait for the fire crew! They'll get her out. Call your neighbour."

The woman nodded, shakily taking her phone from her purse and she dialled. "Rudy... You need to fly over to Kansas City, now."

A/N: so I made a change. sue me. -winks- there's a reason why. More on the way soon xx


	16. Chapter 15

Damon's car skidded to a screaming halt as he arrived at the crash scene and he jumped out of the car, running to the mangled wreck. Consciously being aware of the humans around him meant he couldn't show off his inhuman strength to rip the door off its hinges. "Bonnie!"

"An ambulance is on the way, mister. Just step back."

"If you touch me I will break your fingers. I have to get her out of there!" Damon growled and he shoved his leather-clad elbow through the window of the overturned car, shattering the glass. He cleared the window frame before climbing into the car to pull the witch out and laying her on the ground. He hovered over her, making sure she was hidden from view as he bit into the palm of his hand and he put it to her closed lips, the blood trickling down her cheek but not entering her mouth. "Come on, Bon. Don't bail on me now."

Bonnie remained unresponsive as he heard the sirens growing nearer.

He wiped away the blood as his own wound healed. He put his fingers to her neck to check her pulse, he could already hear her slow heartbeat, but it didn't stop him checking. "Bonnie. You need to wake up now. You got it? This isn't your time yet." Damon hadn't noticed the presence of the paramedics until one had knelt in front of him at Bonnie's other side.

"Sir, we need to get your girlfriend to a hospital quickly. Understand? I need you to give me some room. Do you know what happened?"

Damon shook his head, moving back but he was unable to look away from her as she was being treated and was taken into the ambulance. "Just help her." Was all he managed to get out. He wasn't losing her. Not again.

"I do..." The woman spoke up. "We were all travelling on this bus when it happened." She motioned to tge bus behind her which other paramedics were dealing with. "The car came out of nowhere and crashed into us."

"The police will need to take statements from the people who can provide information." The paramedic spoke as Enzo was also pulled from the wreckage.

"I don't want him in there with her. He's the reason this happened." Damon growled and stormed back to his car, following the ambulance with Bonnie inside.

Enzo spluttered back to consciousness while he was in the back of an ambulance. "Bonnie..?" He tried to get up.

"Sir you need to calm down. You've been involved in an accident and you need hospital treatment. The woman you were with is in another ambulance."

"Is she okay?"

"We'll know more later. Please relax."

At the hospital, Bonnie was swiftly taken from the ambulance into the emergency department to the doctors who worked immediately to try and save her life. Damon was powerless to do anything, all he could do was watch.

"They're doing all they can in there. Why don't you come with me, I'll get you a coffee." A nurse spoke gently to him.

"I don't want a coffee I want her to be okay. I promised her!" He growled.

"She's in the best place. I promise you they'll look after her. You don't need to see what goes on in there."

Damon turned to glare at the insufferable woman until he laid eyes on her, she couldn't be more than 17 years old, with wide blue eyes and an innocent face, brunette hair pulled into a bun on the back of her head. He took a moment and he nodded, allowing the girl to lead him to the relative's room, taking a seat with her.

"Can I ask who she is to you?"

Damon paused. Could he call her his girlfriend? He hadn't exactly talked to her about it, they'd shared a bed for months, he hadn't actually kissed her until a month ago. "Uh..."

"Sorry... I'm prying.. I didn't mean to."

"No... No it's fine." He shrugged. "I uh... I have a difficult time expressing things sometimes." He sighed. "The thing with Bonnie and I it's... I'm not really sure. I do love her."

"Does she know?"

He nodded. "She knows. The guy in the crash with her is...her ex. He used to be a friend of mine. I think..no I know he took her against her will. She wouldn't go back to him."

"I guess he wasn't nice to her?"

"He manipulated her, had her completely convinced her friends didn't want her unless they wanted something."

She nodded, listening. "She's lucky to have you." She smiled. "I'll be back in soon to give you an update."

He nodded, watching her leave, and his hand went into his pocket for his phone, and groaned, remembering he'd left it in his car. He sighed heavily and walked out of the room, seeing Enzo being wheeled through. He growled lowly, the veins around his eyes rippled, his blue eyes reddening. He stormed out of the hospital, heading to his car and grabbed his phone out of it and he walked back to the entrance. He looked at it, seeing a missed call from Caroline and he called her back.

"Damon? Where's Bonnie? Did she forget to charge her phone, cause I tried calling her and it went straight to vo-"

"Caroline please just shut up for one minute."

The blonde opened her mouth again to respond until she noted the tone in his voice, which sent ice through her veins. Damon sounded genuinely upset and heartbroken, and he never sounded that way. "Damon... Pl-please tell me Bonnie's okay...?"

He sighed. "I don't know. Enzo took her and he crashed the car."

"What?!" she screeched, alerting the twins and causing them to look up.

"Mommy what is it?"

"Mommy will be back, babies, just stay with your dad." Caroline walked out of her house. "Damon where are you?"

"Kansas University hospital. I couldn't wake her, Caroline, she wouldn't take my blood."

"Bonnie's strong, okay. You know this more than anybody, and so do I. She'll be fine she will fight this. And when she wakes up she will kick Enzo's ass. But she's gonna need you in there with her right now, keeping her safe. And when you're done, you're gonna take her away and you're gonna make sure she's happy. You got it? Let me know if I need to fly out there."

"She wants to move to New York. She tell you that?"

"Yeah... She mentioned it once when we were younger. Said she was gonna earn enough to look after her Grams in a retirement home and have her nice apartment out in the city. But then... obviously things changed... But you will help make that dream a reality. Got it? You don't get to bail on her now. I know it's scary and God I wanna be there with her right now but I can't. You can't break. Not yet. Break when she's out of the woods and you know she's gonna be okay, because you won't be any use to her if you do it now."

Damon nodded. "I guess so."

"I can tell Stefan if you want."

"No... No I'll do it. I'm gonna head back in there."

"Damon... You haven't let her down, okay? This is Enzo's doing, not yours."

"Go back to your kids, Blondie. I'll deal with this mess." He hung up and walked back inside, spotting Enzo walking toward him. He growled and grabbed him by the throat, slamming him against the wall. "If anything, _anything!_ Happens to Bonnie in there, I will hold you responsible and I will pull out your intestines and feed them to you inch by inch."

Enzo struggled in his hold. "I didn't mean for it to-."

"Save your breath." Damon tightened his hold, barely feeling security guards pulling at him to seperate the two. "When she wakes up, how you end will be up to her." He dropped the man he once called a friend and shrugged off the hands pulling him back, stalking back to the relatives' room.

Enzo stood from the floor slowly, coughing, and he walked out of the hospital.

 _Bonnie looked around her, in familiar settings, outside of her childhood home. She walked up the steps of the porch and sat on the steps, looking out around her._

 _"And just what do you think you're doing here, child?"_

 _Bonnie closed her eyes for a moment, a smile on her soft pouting lips. "Grams."_

 _"How many times are you gonna put your life in danger?"_

 _She looked up at the older woman who sat beside her, fierce eyes looking at her with so much love. "Grams... I... This time it wasn't my fault."_

 _"You're going to fight. This is not your time, you have a lot to live for."_

 _"I know... I know I do and I'm trying so hard... But my body is tired. I can't do this anymore."_

 _"Yes you can, and you will. You've grown into a beautiful, strong, feisty, confident young woman, and you're going to grow into something far more special."_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _Sheila Bennett looked upon her granddaughter and gently brushed a stray curl behind the girl's ear and touched her face. "You'll see in time."_

 _"Grams I need to tell you something... I'm in love with a vampire."_

 _"Bonnie Bennett, are you trying to kill me off completely?"_

 _Bonnie shook her head, giggling a little. "You're... not his biggest fan."_

 _"If you tell me it's Damon Salvatore I will haunt him every single day of his undead life."_

 _The younger witch just ducked her head, smiling and she held in giggles. "He makes me happy, Grams. I love him."_

 _The older woman hugged her close. "I'll be watching him. And if he hurts you, no matter how small the incident, I will make sure he knows not to do it again."_

 _Bonnie leaned into the woman's embrace. "I wish you were there for real. I miss you so much. I lost you and... and dad... Mom doesn't even care."_

 _Sheila sighed softly. She'd known of Rudy's deal with the devil, or Silas as it was, and that the man wasn't really gone. If he wasn't man enough to seek out his own daughter then he didn't deserve her. "I know you do, my child. And I love you so much. I will never insult your father-" She was cut off by a scoff. "-in front of you. But you know yourself what he was like and what he was capable of."_

 _Bonnie nodded. "Can you be happy for me, Grams? I really need your blessing on this one..."_

 _Sheila looked down at her granddaughter. She'd been watching them over the years, had seen the change in the vampire toward her granddaughter. had witnessed him care for her with so much love, more so than the doppelganger. She sighed again. "Bonnie I love you."_

 _"So please give him a chance... For me?" Bonnie looked pleading. "I know I made bad choices... Enzo being one of them..."_

 _"You don't know that Damon won't hurt you again. When Elena wakes up."_

 _"I'll be long gone, and he's gonna be free to do whatever he wants."_

 _Sheila looked at her. "You're not going to give up are you?"_

 _"No." She grinned._

 _"Then I'll back you."_

 _Bonnie squealed happily and hugged her tightly. "Thank you!"_

 _Sheila smiled softly, hugging back. "Now, you need to get back. You've got a life to live."_

 _"I wish I could take you with me."_

 _"I'm at peace here my child. I love you."_

 _Bonnie felt the kiss on her head, and the arms around her were gone, the scenery around her blinding her as she was pulled back into her body._

The nurse reappeared in the room Damon had occupied and she had a smile on her face. "I have good news."

Damon stopped pacing the room like a caged animal and looked at her with apprehension.

"She's stable, and she's out of theater. The operation to repair the internal damage was a success."

The vampire could have honestly spun the girl around ad kissed her. "When can I see her?"

"In a few hours. But she's going to be okay." She laughed as he'd sped to her and hugged her.

"Thank you."

"I didn't do anything." She smiled and rubbed his back, stepping away. "I'm about to go off shift now, but I'll let a colleague know when to come and get you."

He nodded, and the girl left the room again. He collapsed into the chair behind him and let out a breath of relief he hadn't needed to hold in. With shaky hands he grabbed his phone sending a quick message to Caroline letting her know Bonnie was going to be alright and he switched off his phone.

The next thing Damon knew, was he was being woken up by shouting outside the door. He groaned and stood, stretching out any kinks and he listened. He vaguely recognised the voice outside, a voice he hadn't heard in years. ' _But that's not possible. He's supposed to be dead._ ' He walked out of the room and looked around, his eyes landing on the dark skinned man causing a scene in the reception area. "Last I heard you were dead." The vampire looked at him with fire in his ice blue eyes. "Bonnie believed you to be dead."

The man stopped and turned to the newest vocal addition to his argument. "And just who the hell are you?"

"Oh, you remember me, Rudy Hopkins. You remember me well. Damon Salvatore. Ring any bells with you?"

"You know this man?" The receptionist questioned.

"Yeah, I know him. He's not to go anywhere near Bonnie until I've spoken to her. Can I go and see her yet?"

"I'll go and check for you." A nurse spoke up and left.

Rudy advanced on Damon. "Who the hell do you think you are to ban me from my daughter's bedside?"

"I'm protecting her. She told me she watched you die. How is it possible you're here right now? Unless... You faked it and you didn't even tell her. What father does that to their kid?"

"I did it to save her."

"Bonnie was _dead_ when she saw your throat get slashed. Don't bullshit me telling me you did it to save her because there wasn't a fucking witch to save!" He growled. "She was a ghost!"

"I made a deal with Silas."

"What deal? Deals with that son of a bitch mean trouble."

"Damon Salvatore? You can see Bonnie now, she's awake and she's asking for you."

Damon looked at the other man who'd approached them and he nodded. "He stays away until I've told her." He pointed to Rudy and he followed him to the room Bonnie was in. "Bennett, you will put me in a grave for good the amount of times you spend in a hospital bed." He headed straight to her and gently kissed her.

Bonnie smiled tiredly and kissed back. "I'm sorry..."

"You're what? Sorry? It's not your fault you're in here." He sat by her bed and held her hand. "Enzo won't get away with this."

Bonnie gave a small laugh which turned into a cough, accepting the small cup of water Damon had quickly handed to her. "Well... As soon as I'm outta here, we can track him and get rid of him."

"Sounds like my kind of plan." He smirked. "I almost lost you today."

"But you didn't." She smiled. "I'm not going anywhere yet. I'm like a fever you can't shake."

Damon chuckled, hearing his own words directed back at him. "You're stuck with me too, witch."

"I saw Grams while I was under. I think she accepts us." She looked up at him. "I told her about us."

He smirked. "I always knew the old witch loved me." As if in response, he felt a shock on the back of his neck and he hissed. "Son of a.." he rubbed his neck.

Bonnie giggled.

"Bon, I have something to tell you." He sighed after a moment, looking at her.

"Sounds ominous." The smile faltered on the witch's lips.

"Your father is outside."

"Wh...what?" Bonnie's eyes were wide. "Damon... M-my dad is dead... I watched him.." Her voice cracked, her heartbeat racing.

"Bonnie. Bon calm down and listen to me." Damon moved to sit on the edge of the bed so he could look at her properly and held her hands. "Bon, I know what you saw. But I swear, he's out there. I don't know how, but he's there."

"Let me see him."

"You need to rest."

"Damon please. I need to see him."

He sighed and nodded. "Alright." He looked over at the doctor and nodded to him. "Do you want me to stay?"

Bonnie nodded. "Please..."

He held her close. "Anything for you."

Bonnie hugged him back. "I love you." she said softly.

He kissed her on the forehead. "I love you too." He smiled. He moved back as he heard the door open again and Rudy stepped in.

"So it is true." Bonnie sighed. "Why am I not surprised."

"Bonnie, I'm sorry for everything that happened."

"Sorry?! You're sorry? You fake your damn death, and when it was safe to do so you didn't even seek me out? And you tell me you're sorry?!" Bonnie spat. "What the hell happened?"

Damon looked at Rudy, who didn't even look ashamed. "Tell her what you told me. Or I will do it for you."

"I made a deal with Silas. It was to try and ensure your safety away from Elena Gilbert."

Bonnie scoffed. "Elena was my best friend. The fault was mine for being a push over. Everyone knows I would do anything for my friends. But that ended months ago. You... You didn't give a damn enough about me. So much so that you faked your own death just to get away from me."

"No, Bonnie it wasn't like that."

"I'm sick of being lied to. And I'm sick of the sight of you. I'm tired and I would like you to leave please. Damon can stay."

Rudy looked at her. "Bonnie, please."

"You heard her. Get out." Damon glared. "You have three seconds to leave before I make you leave. Through the ceiling."

Rudy just glared at him.

"Get out!" Bonnie shouted.

A doctor walked into the room. "Everything alright in here?"

"I want that man out of my room please." Bonnie looked up at him.

The doctor nodded and escorted Rudy from the room, and only then did Damon see the tears start to fall down her face. Damon sighed and put his arm around her. "Bon..."

"He lied to me, Damon... My daddy lied to me..." She curled herself toward his body.

He kissed her head and held her closer. "I'm sorry." He let her cry until she'd fallen asleep. He didn't leave her side the entire night.


	17. Chapter 16

A/N; I agree with the guest reviewer about Rudy's death scene and the way that whole thing was written. Black actors have the worst end of the stick imaginable, and the way it was played out was vile. That scene was and is the worst I have ever seen in a tv show. How Kat stuck it out for so long I will never know. But trust me on this. I will /never/ be writing such scenes. Now while this fic is not entirely fluffy bunnies and rainbows in the sky, purely because Bamon isn't fluff. It's angst, and drama, and passion. But there will never be a speck of racism in my stories. Not ever. Bonnie is well within her rights to banish her father from her bedside, she has after all found out that the scene she saw before her that day was entirely faked. She may in time forgive him but she will need answers once she has calmed down. I've no intention of revisiting that scene, but I will rewrite some of what Julie Plague did, purely because I disagree with the way she'd written it. I will never write anything that makes me or my readers feel uncomfortable. And don't get me started on the getting rid of the parents thing. That's another rant altogether. I hope I've cleared things up here and I hope you stick with me.

"When can I leave? I've been stuck in here for a week!" Bonnie was getting restless.

"You can leave as soon as the doctor says you can." Caroline laughed and hugged her friend.

"I still don't know why you won't let me fix this and you can get back on the road." Damon smirked.

"Yeah you do." Bonnie rolled her eyes, looking at him. "I'm not dying so I don't need it."

"I can easily arrange it."

"Hm I bet you could." she giggled.

He smirked at her.

Caroline watched them, for once keeping her mouth shut.

"I think the road trip should be put on hold for a while." Bonnie smiled.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded looked up at him. "Yeah. Go back to New York, settle into an apartment, concentrate on myself and what I wanna do with my life."

Damon nodded. "We can do Colorado another time." He smiled.

Bonnie smiled.

"We can help you find a good place in the city, it'll be like you originally planned all those years ago." Caroline grinned. "And I can help you decorate and furnish it."

"You're going to let this monster into your home?" He smirked.

"She doesn't have a choice."

Bonnie nodded, giggling. "Unfortunately, Damon, she's right."

It was another week before Bonnie was allowed to leave the hospital. The flight was booked to take her and Caroline across the country to NYC. Damon was to arrive to the airport in his car, he had initially refused to drive alone, but Caroline had convinced him that being cooped up in a car for the long journey wasn't a good way for Bonnie to recover. He'd left the day before their flight.

"So, what's the deal with you and Damon?" she'd asked Bonnie once they were on their flight.

"Nothing."

"Don't lie."

Bonnie sighed. "You'll freak out."

"Bonnie Bennett! Stop avoiding it."

"I'm not! Okay...we kissed."

"What?"

"More than once.."

Caroline looked at her. "What? How does that happen? What about Elena?"

Bonnie looked at her hands. "It happened New Years Eve... And I guess we never actually stopped. He said he loves me."

"Bonnie." She hugged her. She knew it wasn't too long ago he was professing his eternal love for the doppelganger, claiming he couldn't live without her, and now he's moved on to the other best friend? No, Caroline didn't agree with it.

"I know he's loved Elena for years. But what if, for once, someone chose me. For once he says he loves me and he actually means it. And I know he does. I see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice, he means it, Care."

The blonde vampire nodded. "Okay. Okay, I trust you." She smiled.

Bonnie grinned. "Thank you."

The plane landed and the pair walked off it and out of the airport, finding Damon waiting outside.

He opened the car door for the girls and they got in. He drove away.

"What will you do in the meantime while you look for an apartment?" Caroline asked.

"I can stay in a hotel. Care I know you want me back home but I can't... the only thing I have over Enzo is he only knows about Paris. He doesn't know what I had planned for the rest of my life." Bonnie sighed. "When I'm settled then I can kick his ass. But until then..."

"You're keeping on the down low." she finished for her.

Damon remained silent, listening to them talk.

"I have to, for now, Care. Trust me, all I wanna do is go after that pathetic son of a bitch. But I know I'm not strong enough yet, I don't want anyone else to get revenge on my behalf it should be down to me. I've let things happen to me for too long and it ends as soon as I'm able to stop it. I've spent these few weeks gaining control of my powers and I can feel it getting stronger by the day."

Caroline smiled at her friend and hugged her.

"I already got the hotel sorted for you, Bon. Ric will be waiting for Blondie to get her back home when she's ready."

The girls nodded, and went back to their conversation. Neither noticed how much longer they were talking until Damon pulled over. They got out of the car and Damon handed Bonnie her room key.

"She told me."

Damon looked at the blonde vampire in front of him.

"About you two. I don't know if I believe that you changed, suddenly you don't love Elena anymore, considering what you did to get her, shitting on your brother from a great height and taking his girlfriend from under his nose. For some reason though, Bonnie does believe you. And if she looks even the slightest bit upset because of you I will come for you."

Damon listened to her. "Caroline I know you don't have a reason to believe me, trust me I know she deserves so much better than what she's had so far. I wouldn't hurt her, you have my word on that." The words sounded foreign to his own ears, words he hadn't used for decades. More than a hundred years since he'd had to give his word on anything, but he would do it for her.

"For what it's worth, I trust him this time."

Caroline turned to Alaric. "You knew about this?"

"Not exactly. But you can tell when he's being serious. He's not being a dick."

"Thanks for that, buddy." Damon spoke sarcastically.

He shrugged, smirking. He then looked at Caroline. "We should get going."

Caroline nodded and left with Ric.

Damon headed up to the hotel room, finding Bonnie sprawled across the bed, he smirked. "Bon?"

"Shh. I'm having a moment. Do you know how uncomfortable hospital beds are? This is heaven."

He chuckled and joined her on the bed, looking at her.

Bonnie smiled over at him. "Thank you."

"What for?"

"For not leaving me, for coming to save me." She sighed. "I was in that car and... I didn't think you'd get to me in time."

He lay out his arm and waited for her to move across to him, settling against his side, and he held her. "Bon, I will never leave you. I will always try and be there to help you. Even if I have to wrap you up in that bubble stuff, I'll do it, and you're heading that way." He smirked.

"I'm not made of glass, Damon."

"But you are fragile. You almost died on the table and they brought you back. If anything happens to you."

"It won't. I promise." She looked up at him. "I know all you want to do is protect me, and I love this side of you, like I love all of you. But I know inside of me I have very powerful magic. I need to focus on that, and then I will find him and I will deal with him, and you will be there by my side."

Damon sighed and nodded. "You're right. I know you're right, but I can't lose you again." He leaned over and he kissed her.

Bonnie sighed happily against his lips and she kissed him back, her arms around his neck and she pulled him down, closer to her body.

He smirked against her lips and wrapped his arms around her keeping her close. He pulled away from the kiss, and he heard a whine of disappointment. He smirked again and gently kissed her neck.

Bonnie's eyes fluttered closed and she moved her head to give him better access.

The scent of her blood filled his senses, and before he could stop it, his fangs extended and gently grazed her skin, and he stopped himself.

A pleasurable shiver ran through her body. "Damon..." She looked up as he stopped. "What?"

"I think we should stop." He gave a small laugh in spite of himself and he heard her impatient huff. He could quite easily take advantage of the witch beneath him, give her the best night she'd ever had. "Now isn't the right time." He couldn't be selfish with her, he loved and respected her too much.

"Damon, please. I'm okay."

"No, Bonnie. You just got out of hospital. I'm not gonna do anything while you're like this." He held himself above her, taking in every inch of her. "Bon, the things I could do to you, you would only know the smallest amount of what you do to me." He smirked at her.

Bonnie felt her cheeks flush, and her heart flutter. "You're not being fair." She pouted.

"Believe me, I'm not being fair to myself either." He kissed her again and rolled off her, making a point to ignore the soft whine the witch made.

"Fine. I didn't want to anyway."

"You're cute when you pout." He smirked again and stood up. "I don't know much about hospital food but I'm guessing you'll want something to eat."

Bonnie sighed and nodded. "Yeah, it wasn't the greatest." She moved to sit up.

"So get yourself ready and I will take you out."

She smiled and nodded. "Okay."

"I'm gonna go and hunt." He knew if he stayed they wouldn't leave the room.

"I'll try not to be too long." she looked up at him.

He nodded and kissed her again. "Don't let anyone in here until I come back."

She kissed him back and she nodded again. She understood his concerns, she had no intentions of talking to anybody who wasn't Caroline or Damon or the twins.

He walked out of the room.

Bonnie groaned and went to her case to get a change of clothes and she headed to the bathroom for a shower.

Almost an hour later, Bonnie was out of the shower and she was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a dark blue long-sleeved blouse. She was just touching up her make up when Damon returned. She looked at him in the mirror, smiling.

"Ready?" He smiled, walking to her.

Bonnie nodded and left with him arm in arm and he took her to a nearby restaurant. They were shown to a table and Bonnie ordered her food. "I'm gonna start looking for apartments in the morning."

He nodded.

"And... maybe eventually get answers from dad..."

He looked at her. "Are you sure?"

Bonnie nodded. "I have to, Damon. The same questions keep going around in my head. How did he do it? Why did he do it?"

"Well... my suggestion, if you take it, is find your apartment first. Look after yourself first and then seek him out, because right now, your head is a mess and you need to figure things out before you can start to make sense of the mess in the real world."

Bonnie nodded again. "I guess so."

He reached over and held her hands in his own.

She smiled slightly at him and gently squeezed back. "You can still go, y'know. If you would rather be in Mystic Falls..."

He shook his head. She was still trying to push him away, trying to make him live his life. "Why would I want to be back there, when everything I want is right here in front of me."

Her smile grew. "I mean... if you're sure...?"

"Bon, stop trying to make me change my mind. I'm not going anywhere without you. I told you I love you. You know I don't say that lightly. I love you, I have for a very long time, and I'm sure that feeling isn't going away any time soon." He told her as her food and their drinks arrived and he let her hands go.

She smiled again and started to eat her food.

With the meal eaten and drinks consumed and paid for, they both left, heading out into the dark, busy streets of the city.

The next morning, Bonnie woke up in bed alone. She rose from the bed and headed to the bathroom for a shower. Half an hour later, she emerged from the bathroom, towel wrapped around her, and she started looking for clothes.

Once she'd settled on an outfit, she checked her phone, seeing the message from Damon telling her he'd gone to meet Stefan and he should be back later. She smiled and got ready and left the hotel with her aim to find her new home.

A/N: Next time Bonnie finds her home and gets answers from her absent father. Love you guys!


	18. Chapter 17

A/N: Fair warning guys, things get a little...well... a lot heatee between Bon and Damon later on in the chapter! Enjoy

"I don't want that piece of shit in this house where my children will be sleeping when I have them!" Caroline looked at Damon as though he had lost his mind. "They're too curious for their own good! They could find him!"

"Then we'll school the munchkins in not letting big bad vampires out of their cages. Dose him up with vervain and have him locked in the basement. Tell them the basement is not for playing hide-and-seek in." Damon shrugged. "That asshole almost killed your best friend, are you okay with letting him get away with it."

Caroline opened her mouth to argue, only to snap it shut again. She hated when he was right.

"Just what I thought." He gave a triumphant smirk at the blonde. "Stefan and I have already discussed it and decided we're gonna go after him and bring him back."

"Only because for this to work and for Bonnie to get her revenge, Enzo needs to be alive. And I don't trust Damon to bring him back in one piece."

"You're as bad as the Original peacemaker." Damon rolled his eyes at his brother.

"Which would make you-"

"Finish that sentence, brother."

Stefan just smirked at him and left the room.

"I don't know about this plan, Damon..." Caroline anxiously wrung her fingers together.

"It will work. Trust me." He looked at her and then at his phone when it rang, seeing Bonnie's name on the screen. He answered it. "Hey."

"Where are you? You're only meant to be telling them about the house-warming party."

"I'm leaving now, witch, keep your damn weave in." He smirked.

"Well hurry up. This mausoleum gives me the creeps."

"Crypt, Bonnie. It's a crypt."

"It's fucking creepy now get me outta here."

He laughed and hung up. "You heard the lady."

"I hope it works, Damon. For her sake. Tell her I'll be there for her party. Just tell me when it will be."

He nodded and left the boarding house, getting into his car and drove to the Salvatore crypt to pick Bonnie up.

"About time!" Bonnie quickly got into the car.

"You're the one who wanted to see Elena." Damon shrugged. "Why do you want a house party anyway?"

"Cause it's been a long time since I actually had fun with my friends." Bonnie smiled. ' _Even if one of them is missing...'_ she thought.

He reached over and held her hand, linking their fingers together in a form of comfort. He knew she missed Elena. "She'll understand."

She nodded. "I know... And... don't get mad."

He suppressed a groan. "Why would I get mad?"

"My dad's flying out to get to New York tomorrow morning."

"Why?"

"Cause I need answers, Damon. I need to know!"

"And what if he can't tell you?"

"Then at least I tried. I can say to myself that I gave it a shot, and he didn't give a damn enough. And if I get the answers and I don't like it, then at least I'll know."

"Fine. We'll go home. But I don't see what good bringing him into your home will do."

"Well... I'll soon find out if the deal he made was to become a vampire. If he can't come in without my permission, he doesn't come in. And then I'll go somewhere else."

'He would still know where you live.' he thought. "I just don't want him to hurt you again."

"I know. And I've thought of every possible angle. I might even change it to a cafe or something... I'm still a witch I can sense a vampire."

Damon nodded. He had watched her reconnecting with her magic over the time they had been together, he could feel her getting stronger. And he couldn't be more prouder of her, watching her grow and learn more about her craft. "Bon Bon you know I trust you more than anything."

"But?"

"Nothing." He kept his eyes on the road.

"Damon. Please, whatever it is just tell me."

"I don't trust him."

"I know... and I know I don't either. If he's not a vampire then I'm gonna keep the magic quiet."

He nodded. He knew she needed this, and he wouldn't stand in her way. "No changing your mind is there."

She gave a shake of her head. "Nope." She smiled.

"I'd go for the cafe. If he is... then he still doesn't know exactly where you live." He looked at her. "Go with your instincts. The moment you sense danger, message me, I'll come straight to you. If he's smart, he won't attack in a public place."

'But in your own home will be different.' Bonnie knew the end of that sentence didn't need to be said. She smiled and nodded. "Okay."

She settled back into the seat, resting her head on the window and she closed her eyes, her hand finding his on the gear stick.

"We'll be home soon enough Bon."

She smiled in response and allowed herself to drift off to sleep.

Damon sighed quietly and carried on driving. He would rather she had nothing to do with him, and he could have her to himself.

 _'But she was devastated when she lost him. Give him a chance, hear him out.'_

The voice in his head sounded suspiciously like Elena. Always the moral compass for him, his brother, her friends.

 _'Damon I know you love her. I've watched it... I know now. Just trust her instinct, she will reach out to you. But you understand more than most what it means to lose someone and then have them back.'_

 _'That's why I don't want her to go through the hurt I did.'_

 _'You can't protect her from that kind of hurt, Damon. She needs to do this, she has to know. If given the chance, I'd do the same thing, I'd want to know why. Why we went off that bridge when we've driven in a storm before. Why did they even agree when they knew it was coming.'_

 _'Doesn't mean I can't try.'_

' _Of course not! I know better than anyone, so does Stefan, how you love. Head first, no thinking, consequences be damned. And after all Bonnie's been out through, she's more reserved. But put her around her friends, and she's exactly the same as you.'_

He groaned and rubbed his forehead. She was right, he knew it. He glanced over at the sleeping witch in the passenger seat. "I don't trust him, Bon. But I trust you."

He carried on driving until he got back to New York, and he pulled up outside her apartment. He carried the sleeping witch into the building and up to her bedroom laying her on the bed. He headed back down the stairs to the kitchen, grabbing a blood bag from the fridge, slowly drinking its contents as he made his way back up to Bonnie. He kicked off his shoes and lay on the bed beside her, draining the rest of the bag and he gently pulled Bonnie against him, holding her in his arms while she slept.

He woke up hearing a buzzing on the ground, he opened his eyes seeing Bonnie still sleeping, and he got off the bed, grabbing Bonnie's jacket which lay on the ground, her phone in her pocket. He grabbed it and answered it. "Hello?"

"Who's this? Where's Bonnie?"

Rudy. Damon suppressed a growl. "She's asleep right now. What do you want?"

"Damon, please. I just want to talk to her, alright? Did she tell you I'm coming over?"

"Yeah she told me, and I've given her the idea to have you meet in a cafe, and nowhere near her home. I don't know what you're doing but if you hurt her, I swear by Arcadius himself that it will be the last thing you will ever do to her."

Well, he couldn't argue with that. "I understand, Damon. I know promises mean very little to her right now, but I would like to prove myself with time. I haven't been the best father to her growing up, I missed out on a lot, I took it out on her because of Abby. But I will show her I'm here to stay."

"I hope so. Because she's been through enough."

"I can tell you love her. And while I don't agree, it's because I've not been around to see how the two of you are together. You only want what's best for her, and that's what I want too."

"This won't bring me on side." Damon growled. "Like I said, Bonnie's sleeping. I won't tell her you called." He hung up. With one last glance at the sleeping witch, and dropping the phone on to the mattress beside her, he headed out of the room to the bathroom for a shower.

It was the sound of running water that woke Bonnie. She groaned softly and stretched out on the bed, waking herself up. She got up and she walked out, down the stairs to the kitchen. She couldn't ignore the growls from her stomach any longer as she opened the fridge, looking in at its contents, picking up a plastic tub of tuna pasta, and she put it in the microwave to heat up. Taking the tub out she walked into the sitting room, she put the tv on while she waited for Damon to be finished in the shower, she sat and ate her food in silence, watching whatever caught her eye.

Damon walked down the stairs after his shower, dressed in only his jeans and he smirked over at Bonnie. "There's Sleeping Beauty."

Bonnie looked up, hearing him. "Funny." She smirked. "I could have sworn you had a shirt on this morning. Enjoy your shower?"

"Would have been better with you there." The smirk still on his face as he headed to the kitchen to his cooler, grabbing a blood bag, he opened it and poured some of its contents into a glass.

Bonnie rolled her eyes, looking back at the TV but she could feel her cheeks burning. "Ever the charmer, Damon."

"Your heart rate seems to think so too." He walked back to her, sitting next to her. He smirked, watching her closely as he drank from his glass, seeing her fidget and squirm in her seat a little amused him. He loved the effect he had on her.

"That's cheating." She turned in her seat, bringing her legs up to rest in his lap, she faced him and smiled.

"But you love it." He smirked again, using his free hand to gently massage her leg. "So, what are you watching?"

She shrugged. "Just some drama I found, no idea of the plot but it looks interesting."

He nodded, draining the rest of the glass and he put it down, moving his hand down as she turned her attention back to the TV, and he gently rubbed her feet.

"Well a girl could get used to this." She teased, the feeling of his hands were doing the trick in relaxing her. "Where did you learn it?"

"Well, I once knew a girl who could do a thing or two." He smirked, wiggling his eyebrows.

She laughed and shoved him lightly. "Gross!"

"You asked!" He laughed. "I've been on this earth for 180 plus years. I think I'm allowed to learn a few tricks."

"Next time I'll keep my questions to myself." Bonnie smirked and let her head drop to the side, keeping her eyes on the TV show.

"It was just getting interesting, Bon Bon."

She moved her foot from his grip to nudge his leg with her heel. "Not interesting. Disgusting."

"You love it. You can't even deny it, witch."

"I have the ability back to burn your brain, vampire."

"Hm, I do love it when you talk dirty." He smirked and leaned over to kiss her.

She giggled against his lips and shook her head. "Stop it."

"Not in this lifetime. Or the next." He kissed her nose and sat back in his seat with a smile on his face.

Bonnie wriggled down further into the sofa to get herself comfortable, and she heaved a contented sigh. "If I sleep any more I'll beat Elena's record."

"She's still in her coffin, and not waking up any time soon. And don't you go getting any ideas on breaking the spell. You heard what that homicidal maniac said. No loopholes." He watched her face. "And I quite like having a feisty witch around. I'm not burying you, Bonnie Bennett." He held her hand in his.

She nodded. "No spell. Promise."

"You mean too much to me. This hold you have on me, nobody has ever had that kind of control. Not Katherine, Elena. Only you. And I don't mind that, because it's not the kind of control that restricts me. It's a kind of control that forces me to acknowledge my actions, and see the consequences. You make me want to be a better man for myself."

"I don't see how I'm so special. I'm just me."

"Bon, 'just you' is incredible. You've been taken advantage of so many times to save your friends that you don't see your own worth. I'm a huge part to blame for that. But I don't think you've ever seen it. You're the most selfless, kind, beautiful woman, with a soul and heart so pure. I love you. Every inch of you. Inside and out."

Bonnie looked up at him with watery eyes as her emotions took over. How could he see straight through her, yet her best friends couldn't. They had known her all of her life, he'd shown up for two minutes. "I love you too." She moved her legs from his lap and shuffled closer to him, nestling herself in his arms.

"And this is my promise to you, Bon. I'll spend the rest of eternity making it up to you. Making sure you know you're loved, and worth more than anything on this earth."

"You've done more than enough in these past months. It's okay about the past, Damon. It's not my forgiveness you need." She looked up at him. "You need to forgive yourself. I forgave you a long time ago. That's why I started treating you the way I have, making you own up to your mistakes. Because I believed that there was a better man in there, and I was right. You give me this whole speech about my worth? And yes, I'm crying and I'm happy and it feels so good to hear it... but what about yours? You don't even know your own." She brought a hand up to his cheek, gently caressing the soft skin beneath her fingertips. "I love you, Damon. I choose you. I trust you."

She was right about that feeling, he mused. It did give him a warm feeling of content and love and happiness. Instead of responding to her, he lowered his head and he kissed her again, this time with more force, more passion. How had he landed lucky with her? He didn't know, but he didn't intend on letting her go.

Bonnie moaned softly at the intensity of the kiss, her eyes closing as she kissed him back, her fingers moving into his hair.

Damon held her and brought her into his lap, never breaking the kiss.

It was Bonnie who eventually pulled away, needing to breathe, and her hands came to rest on his shoulders as his own gently framed her face. She gave him a small smile.

Damon let his hands slide from her face down her arms, and he moved into her neck, placing a kiss just below her ear, hiding a smirk as he felt her tremble in his grasp, a barely audible growl as she pushed her hips against his own.

Bonnie's temperature soared at the tiny action, her pulse accelerating and her cheeks flushed. She was sure he would be able to tell how he was affecting her body which seemed to react on its own accord.

Hearing her blood pumping in her veins, feeling the heat of her body didn't help with his self control and he stiffened. He always prided himself on his impeccable self control around blood, around the women he often liked to get in the mood before feeding on them, but there was something about Bonnie... her blood, her scent, her essence that drove him to distraction.

Sensing a change in the man she was currently straddling, ready and willing for him to have his way with her, she opened her eyes and looked at him. "Damon?" She'd dare not move for fear any more friction between her legs would push her closer to the edge, and he hadn't even done anything yet. "Damon what's wrong?"

Damon didn't answer her, remaining silent as he struggled with his senses. Tightening his grip on her arms, he pushed her to the side and sped out of the room.

Bonnie blinked, looking at the spot where Damon once was and she slowly got up from the sofa, the temporary high she'd been on seconds before was fast depleting, the tingling at her core making walking a little uncomfortable as she headed upstairs. "Damon!"

"Go back downstairs, Bonnie."

She followed his voice to the bathroom. "No. What the hell was that?"

"I said go!" He growled, glaring at her.

Bonnie bit her lip seeing his face, it had changed to reveal the monster beneath, his eyes deep red, his black veins around his eyes rippling beneath the surface. She shook her head. "No, Damon." She advanced on him. "How many times have I seen this face?" She slipped between him and the sink. "I'm still here. I'm not scared. You will not scare me away." She forced him to look at her. "There was a time when that face would haunt me in my nightmares. That night you bit me when Emily possessed me. And then it didn't scare me anymore. You don't have to hide it from me, Damon..."

"It's you, Bon. It's all of you. Your body, your scent, your blood. I don't want to hurt you." He looked straight through her. "One thing you're not about to do is offer your neck to me, and I was gonna bite you again, Bon."

She put her hand on his face and made him look at her fully. Her body had calmed down now, but being pressed against him, she knew his hadn't, but now wasn't the time. "But you didn't. You held back. I can't imagine how hard this is for you, but trust yourself. Because I trust you and I know you wouldn't have bitten me."

He hated feeling this weak to his bloodlust, he figured this must be how Stefan would have felt around Elena. "That's just it. I can't trust myself. Right now, I need to be alone. I'll join you when I'm ready." He kissed her head and stepped away from her, giving her room to move.

Bonnie sighed and left the room, heading to the bedroom, she shed her clothes and put on her night dress, and she lay in the bed. She closed her eyes, and that kiss was the first thing she saw. She pressed her legs together as the tingle returned, her fingers gripping the duvet around her.

Damon growled again, more annoyed with himself and his reaction to the witch who's legs he was almost in between. He could still smell her arousal and he could feel his own uncomfortably restricted. It took him a few silent moments to gather his senses and he made his way to the bedroom, seeing Bonnie already in the bed. He smirked, her scent lingering in the air. Climbing into the bed behind her, he placed a kiss to her bare shoulder. "I'm sorry." Where his fingers caressed her arms he left goosebumps on her skin.

"You should be." Bonnie sighed softly.

Damon took particular care in his touching and where to put his hands on the deel purple silk material of the nightgown. Trailing his hands up her side he stopped at her breasts, playing with a nipple over the fabric.

A moan came from her in a sigh, her head tilted back against him.

"How much apologising should I do?" He smirked and kissed her exposed neck, his fingers paying careful attention to her touch sensitive breasts.

She found she couldn't form a coherent sentence. "A...lot...more..." She had barely noticed that she'd started to rotate her hips against him.

Taking his time, committing every breath, every sound to memory, one hand slowly trailed down her body until he reached her hip. Toying with the edge of the material for a moment, he eventually hitched it up.

With every second that passed, every touch, Bonnie felt as though her skin was on fire. She felt the fabric being moved up and she felt the friction of his pants more against her bare skin. She felt his hand massaging her thigh, she opened her legs for him, curling one behind her around his leg.

He didn't need long to take the hint as his fingers found their target. He slipped a long digit inside her already wet folds and he smirked at her intake of breath. "Been a while, has it, witch?" He spoke as he pushed another inside her.

"Fuck..." she barely whispered. If it felt this good with just his hand... her train of thought disappeared as he continued to work her with his fingers. He was slowly unravelling her mind, and she didn't care. "Damon... oh God.."

Her vocalisations spurred him on, and caused his dick to jump against the already tight zipper. He pumped his fingers faster and as deep as they would go, the palm of his hand rubbing against her clit with every movement.

This caused a yelp from the witch writhing against him, one hand finding a home in his hair with his face against her neck, the other joining his hand to guide him back to that spot he'd uncovered.

Each time he found it, her entire body shook with the pleasure it caused. He could tell he was bringing her ever closer to the edge, in the way she tightened around his fingers, in her breathing, in the way her beautiful face was contorted with the pleasure her body was receiving. "It's okay to let go, Bon Bon." He told her, removing his fingers from inside of her to play with her swollen bud.

Bonnie barely heard him, her voice seeming to echo off the walls. She inched closer to release quicker than she anticipated, the coil in her stomach sprang, and her orgasm crashed over her, clamping his hand between her legs, fingers still working her as she rode through it and she lay back against him. "Wow..." She whispered, breathing heavily. She turned to face him.

"Wow yourself, witch." He smirked. "Does this mean I'm forgiven."

"I wouldn't mind if you apologised like that from now on." She giggled.

"You'll get no complaints from me." He smirked again and kissed her.

She kissed back. "What about you?"

"Shh, witch. Sleep." He waited for her to sleep and he quickly left the room.

/Sorry if the last part felt rushed, I've never written smut before... I want to get their relationship moving a little more now. any ideas are welcome as always :) xo


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